December 30 – Romain Gavras’s new film, Sacrifice, has wrapped filming, with significant portions shot in Greece.
The film boasts an impressive international cast, including Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, John Malkovich, and Charli XCX. Filming occurred across Greek locations, including Athens, Lavrio, Drama, and Santorini.
The son of renowned director Costa Gavras, Romain Gavras co-wrote the screenplay for Sacrifice with playwright Will Arbery. Inspired by the novel Joan of Lorraine, the film tells the story of Joan, a woman who receives a prophecy about the world’s end. With her devoted followers, she disrupts a high-profile charity event, taking three hostages: a movie star (Mike Tyler), the world’s wealthiest man (Bracken), and an unfortunate bystander (Katie). The hostages are forced to accompany Joan on an epic and absurd journey, culminating in Mike facing a crucial question: what is he willing to sacrifice for humanity?
Scenes were filmed at Peiraios 260, a key venue for the Athens Epidaurus Festival. Gavras was photographed there with the festival’s Artistic Director, Katerina Evangelatou, and General Director, Ioannis Kaplanis.
Sacrifice is a Greek-UK co-production created in partnership with the Athens Epidaurus Festival, the Onassis Foundation (Onassis Cinema), and other international organisations. Some filming also occurred in Bulgaria. Over 200 Greek artists and technicians contributed to the film’s production.
Romain Gavras has established himself as a prominent figure in international cinema with his films and music videos, which are known for their powerful sociopolitical commentary. His previous works include Our Day Will Come (2010), The World Is Yours (2018), and Athena (2022), a modern tragedy that premiered at the Venice Film Festival. He also received the Golden Lion in 2016 for Jamie XX’s music video, “Gosh.”