The stunning scenery that this island offers, the strong contrasts of color, the narrow streets, the sea and especially the fascinating sunsets of Oia, in the years inspired many artists: writers, photographers and filmmakers. These include the award-winning novel The Agavi “The shores of another sea” by Eugene Nocerino, an intriguing tale and fantasy, in which the story involves mythological characters and ancient legends, particularly in the architectural landscape of Santorini.
The adventure lived in part in the depths of the sea, accompanied by actors with a careful description of marine life, and encourages, through the mournful call of a siren, to the respect for Nature.
There are many films set on the Island taken from novels as “The Sisterhood is a pair of jeans,” a 2005 film based on the novel by Ann Brashares, where the journey is once again the metaphor of growth and transition from adolescence to maturity.
With the background of Santorini was born and brought to the fascinating story of love between Lena and Kostos two of the film’s key characters, who fall in love among the market stalls of the fish by looking at the designs of Lena fascinated by small churches scattered throughout the Island
Santorini becomes an ageless place of love and pursuit of happiness, of romantic landscapes and of a time that seems to stand still leaving space for reflection and feelings. Even Nichetti film “Snowball” is based on the book by Emilio Nessi: a comedy of seafaring adventures in the key of fable, which tells the story of abeluga (called White Dolphin) pursued in the seas of Greece from poor Billy the Bull (Paolo Villaggio) vaudeville actor, which has engulfed pension book, and the grim Marcov (A. Haber), an arms dealer who wants to use it as a torpedo in a terrorist attack.
We must go back a few decades for “Summer Lovers” film of 1982 in which the island is once again a place of meeting and love, this time “three in love”. It was a film with a small budget, then the Greek Islands were already popular with young tourists from around the world, but this unpretentious film became a huge commercial success for the Greek Tourism Authority.
The soundtrack was beautiful and the images they had captured the imagination of millions of people around the world. For many people this was their first taste of the magic of Santorini and the lifestyle of the ‘Aegean. The house where the movie was filmed still exists and it has become a curiosity shop and is situated on ‘the “other side” of Oia in front of the view of the sunset, but not of the caldera and the volcano. Even further back in time there is the film of 1972 “Once Upon a Love,” the story of two brothers who discover they love each other is actually a different background to the overwhelming love between the director John Derek and the main actress Bo Derek (who assumed the name after their marriage) which also marked the end of the director’s previous marriage. Proof of how the power of love in Santorini really exists and it is true not only for the characters of the movie! Among the most recent and best known is the film of 2004 directed by Giovanni Veronesi “What will become of us.”
The main performers are Silvio Muccino, Violante Placido and Elio Germano. The journey of maturity for the three male protagonists is to Santorini: Matthew has a stormy relationship with Carmen, and knowing that she will go on vacation right on that convinces his two friends looked forward to starting the trip as a “last to know their themselves. “Along the ferry trip, the three encounter two very attractive girls who will accompany them on the island. Many things happen in a week, that will forever change the lives of the three protagonists and will help them grow and mature.
In Italy the film was a success but also had the honor to let know the island just as identifying the ideal holiday destination for young and as indispensable place to come into adulthood.
