Directed by Tony Asimakopoulos Cinematography Tony Asimakopoulos | Music by Philip Karneef Edited by Tony Asimakopoulos | |
Produced by Mila Aung-Thwin
Daniel Cross
Bob Moore Starring Tony, Aristomenis and Vassiliki Asimakopoulos
Natalie Karneef | ||
Fortunate Son (French title Le fils béni) is a 2011 autobiographical Canadian documentary film by Tony Asimakopoulos, a Canadian film director of Greek origin and produced by Mila Aung-Thwin, Daniel Cross and Bob Moore of the Montreal-based EyeSteelFilm film production company. The film is bilingual in English / Greek with subtitles in English and French.
The film documents the complicated, painful relationship of the Greek-Canadian director with his overbearing mother Vassiliki and ailing father Aristomenis, and the patterns of dysfunction they share. After overcoming a severe drug problem, and motivated by a search for happiness with his new fiancee Natalie Karneef, filmmaker Tony Asimakopoulos turns to his roots, his childhood in Montreal, his Greek heritage to reach the process of universal sense of family bonding transcending generations.
The film was shown at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Montreal's Festival du nouveau cinéma in 2011 and Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois and the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival. Public screenings started in Montreal on 1 June 2012.