5 Minutes With… Gregoris Rentis
As an only child raised in the remote suburbs of Athens, Gregoris Rentis grew up with plenty of time on his hands, which quickly filled up with film watching and daydreaming. “I was after a certain type of escapism,” he says, “a way of entering new worlds.”
Gregoris’ craving for the unknown (or undiscovered) led him to writing - an exciting and “very private endeavour” for him at the time, but nothing he dared to dream of pursuing on a larger scale. In fact, for a while Gregoris was trying his hand at electrical engineering before accepting that art was his life’s path. But more on that later.
During his first time in London Gregoris began to experiment with photography and narrative more consistently, while remaining tapped into that childlike curiosity that he always harboured. “Most of the images I was creating were coming out of daydreaming, or actual dreams, often from jotting things down in a notepad right after waking up,” he says. This experimental phase is what Gregoris credits as the cornerstone of his approach to image making today. Now, his work veers into documentary with projects like ‘Dogwatch’ (exploring the lives of mercenaries protecting vessels from pirate attacks along the Somali coastline), and while grounded in reality, it still has an air of absurdism and experiment to it.
Today, Gregoris is head of content at Topcut Modiano as well as a partner at BYRD, the company’s film production arm. He aims to bring foreign production into Greece, while staying dedicated to creating feature films and growing within the commercial world. Here’s what else he had to say.
LBB> Gregoris, you have two university degrees that are very different from each other – what was the culprit behind the jump you made between electrical engineering and filmmaking?
Gregoris> It took a while for me to embrace art as a profession. Being strong at analytical thinking, I followed an engineering path knowing I wasn’t going to pursue that field.
However, my time at Imperial College was fruitful and interestingly enough I learned a lot about filmmaking as many Royal College of the Arts grad students would teach humanities at Imperial. Moving to London was an eye-opening experience and that’s where I decided to pursue film directing. When I finally got to CalArts though, I felt at home. From the first day I knew this was the life for me.
LBB> How do you believe Greek cinema has impacted your creative vision and do you see it in your own work in some ways? If you had to define your style in a few words, what would they be?
Gregoris> There is something about seeing films in your language that hits differently. Greek films, be it good, bad, artful, conservative, or tacky have made a huge impression on me and have influenced how I view the world ‘filmically’. If anything, in Greek cinema there is a specific way we process and respond to pop culture. There is a love-hate relationship and myriads of pop culture references. This, the quirkiness of certain characters, aiming at the uncomfortable and by large inspired by Greek cinema and Greek commercials of the 2000s.
LBB> Your graduation film ‘Sundown’ premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival - what was that like for you and why was the film important to you?
Gregoris> ‘Sundown’ was a personal film about accepting how my ageing grandfather was coping with Alzheimer’s disease. Seeing something so intimate travel to a big festival like Rotterdam and communicating with its audience was inspiring and an experience that propels you into making more work. My grandmother, who acted in the film, was at the premiere and joined me for the Q&A. That experience alone made the festival for me.
LBB> What did your first steps look like after university? What were some challenges and lessons from that time that you still carry with you?
Gregoris> Finding work as a director right after film school is a challenge for most and I was no exception. Along with smaller directing jobs, I worked as an editor, managing to edit a number of feature and short films. In hindsight, practising in the edit room proved to be a blessing. With time, more directing work came along and I was able to focus on that. The biggest challenge however was trying to unlearn what I was taught in film school. Getting to study all the greats can be humbling and, ultimately, it makes it hard to break through into something of your own. Embarking on this journey of finding a personal voice, which is ongoing really, was truly valuable.
LBB> ‘Dogwatch’ was your directorial debut – tell me more about the process behind the making of the film, as well as what that meant to you.
Gregoris> ‘Dogwatch’ was an ambitious project which I started even before entering commercials. It took seven years to complete, involved a lot of risk-taking and persistence. The film follows three mercenaries protecting vessels along the Somali coastline but remains quite personal for me as the third character was my uncle. Even though I was attracted to the adventurous side of the project, I tried to tell a humble story about self-discovery. The film took me out of my comfort zone literally and artistically, embracing the raw beauty of the documentary form, which can be liberating and creative.
LBB> Do you believe your creative voice is just as prominent in your commercials as it is in your films, or is it totally different? How do you approach commercials creatively?
Gregoris> There are certain commercials where there is room for an individual voice, where clients approach you for what you do. These are always the best collaborations. Commercials are a lot about atmosphere and characters for me. Creating dense imagery where characters get to stand out. I love crafting a tight rhythm, a pace that draws you in. I try to honour the brief but I always bring in something of my own and, when possible, something personal. My approach is not too different in the two media. There is always a concept, a larger idea you try to bring across in an engaging way. Craft-wise and technically they can vary a lot but designing any piece is similar in many ways.
LBB> Colour plays a huge role in your films – how do you tend to use colour and what is your process when you decide on colour palettes on a certain project?
Gregoris> Everything has to do with building a consistent and captivating world. I work a lot with references and palettes, trying to align the DoP, production designer and stylist. I find that directing is a lot about keeping the noise out and narrowing down the countless available options. A lot of the work has to do with making things pop out, ultimately creating memorable images. Colour helps in this, especially when it comes to what characters wear. I’m a strong believer that in film, ‘clothes make the character’.
LBB> How do you think your creative expression has changed over the years and why? What part of filmmaking are you eager to explore that you perhaps haven't yet?
Gregoris> Coming from a market with a smaller pool of directors, I’ve had the opportunity to explore a variety of genres in commercials. I can say that my favourite style is off-beat, visual comedy, even though these scripts are often unique and rare to come by. The truth is that you can’t make quality work without at least some risk. There needs to be a leap of faith, which is uncommon for people to take. In the commercial world, I’d love the opportunity to make some more personal branded short films, something I’ve never tried before. Yet, my focus these days is on prepping my next feature fiction film, which is shooting next year.
LBB> Tell me about being a partner at Topcut Modiano, as well as BYRD and what those projects look like today.
Gregoris> Topcut Modiano was one of my favourite companies as a freelance director, so now being a part of shaping its future is truly exciting. Last year opened new opportunities for us, servicing for international features and commercials. It was also a strong year creatively getting awarded Production House of the Year in the local advertising awards, as well as being shortlisted in New York Festivals and the ADC awards.
In addition BYRD, our younger film production arm, received support from Media Creative Europe, and was selected for Eave Producers Network. The first of our feature films and TV projects we have been developing will be entering production in 2025, marking a promising, new chapter for the company.
Finally, our offices expanded into a new building, housing our post-production facility. Moreover, our service production team, aiming to bring foreign productions to Greece, continues to grow. This is our main focus for next year, and I am sure you will see our team in Cannes.
LBB> What are you most excited about looking ahead?
Gregoris> As a director transitioning into feature films, I’m looking forward to telling engaging stories in interesting ways, hopefully sparking useful conversations. However, I also wish to continue growing in the commercial world, diving into more international projects with a strong identity.
