A unique cinematic experience blending Greek mythology, dark humour and science fiction is coming to the big screen through the new film Yesterday Island by Greek-Australian director Sam Voutas. As the filmmaker explains, the idea was inspired by childhood memories and his fascination with the gods of Ancient Greece.
Influenced by Greek mythology, dry comedy and elements of science fiction, Yesterday Island aims to carve out its own place within Australia’s independent film scene.
The film follows Amos, a failed writer who becomes trapped in a strange time loop on a remote island after his friend mysteriously disappears from a research facility.
In an attempt to escape “yesterday,” he draws his ex-wife into the island’s bizarre reality, leading to unpredictable — and often comedic — consequences.
Speaking to our program, Voutas explained that the original idea for the film stemmed from childhood memories and his introduction to Greek mythology through his father.
He says he was always fascinated by the way the gods of Ancient Greece interfered in human lives while also being deeply flawed themselves, filled with rivalries, weaknesses and petty conflicts.“I guess the idea originated probably just even just when I was a child, just being introduced to ideas of Greek mythology and the Greek gods from my dad. I was always fascinated with how the Greek gods were always playing with humans, and also in their own way were so fragile and had their own disagreements with each other.”
The director admits that balancing dark humour, science fiction and human drama was one of the production’s greatest challenges.
According to Voutas, the film’s humour is particularly subtle and relies heavily on tone and rhythm in the performances. For that reason, extensive rehearsals with the actors became essential in achieving the exact style he envisioned.
“It was extremely difficult to balance those elements. In comedy, tone is everything. It's so easy to get a joke wrong. It's so easy to take something too far or not go far enough. Particularly in this film because we're using dry humor, we're trying to be very subtle. It was a bit of a tightrope in terms of getting it right. Ultimately, it all just came down to rehearsal, spending a really long time rehearsing with the actors so that when it came to delivery it was, in my opinion, the right kind of tone that I was looking for.”
I was really pleased to see that when we screened it in Poland, the audience responded warmly to the humor and the storySam Voutas
Although the story revolves around revenge and human conflict, Voutas stresses that at its core the film is really about forgiveness and second chances.
As he explains, “Yesterday Island” exists because people cling to anger and seek revenge for the pain they have suffered. Through the protagonist’s journey, however, the story ultimately arrives at a message of reconciliation.
“Well, ultimately, the film, even though it's predominantly about revenge, it's actually about forgiveness. And the reason why an island like Yesterday Island can exist in this story universe is because people want to get back at one another. Yesterday Island ultimately is about someone who learns forgiveness.”
The film has already attracted attention at international festivals, winning, among other honours, the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival.
The Greek-Australian filmmaker says he was particularly pleased to see audiences in countries such as Poland and the United States warmly respond to the film’s humour and distinctive style, and is now eagerly awaiting the reaction of Australian audiences.
“Well, it's always tricky with comedy, particularly subtle comedy, you're not sure it's gonna travel. So I was quite nervous to start with and was very happy to see that, showing it in Poland, audiences responded warmly to the humor and the story, and then also in America. Now we'll have the big test, taking it back home to Australia. So, I've got my fingers crossed.”
Reflecting on the current state of independent cinema, Voutas says that despite the major changes brought about by artificial intelligence and new content platforms, he believes this is an exciting era for independent filmmakers.
He argues that new technologies are creating fresh opportunities for more experimental and original ideas, allowing filmmakers greater freedom to explore different creative approaches.
“It's an interesting playground for experimental or original ideas. And so I think in an interesting way that new technology is making it a sort of exciting time to be making independent films.”
"Yesterday Island" will be screened at the Sydney Film Festival on Saturday, June 6, and Monday, June 8.
The Sydney Film Festival runs from June 3 to June 14, featuring over 200 films and documentaries.
About Sam Voutas
Sam Voutas is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and the Toronto Film Festival Talent Lab.
His debut feature film, Red Light Revolution, was included in the British Film Institute’s list of the “10 Great Films Set in Beijing,” while his second feature, King of Peking, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later screened internationally on Netflix, receiving positive reviews from major publications including The New York Times and Rolling Stone.
