OFFICIAL SELECTION

“THE LAST DAY OF PARADISE” Written by Kiki Denis (USA/Greece)

BIO:

The Author Kiki Denis, originally from Greece, has lived in the US since 1990. She holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s from Exeter University, England. Her first novel The Last Day of Paradise won the annual Gival Novel Award in the US and was published by Gival Press in 2006. Her second novel Life is Big was released in the spring of 2020 as an ebook.

Kiki’s script, The Last Day of Paradise, is based on her first novel with the same title, and has been part of more than 40 festivals around the world and has won many script awards. It’s a tragicomic love story and is set in a small Greek village. Mama Mia, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Durrells in Corfu share thematic similarities with The Last Day of Paradise. Kiki is currently working on another script and on her 3rd novel. She lives in New York City with her husband and 3 kids.

“THE LAST DAY OF PARADISE” Written by Kiki Denis (USA/Greece)

LOGLINE: (Genre: Family/Drama/Romance)

When the lineage of a confident happy Greek teen is called into question, old and new traditions collide ensuing a generational tragicomedy.

STORY OUTLINE:

It’s the mid 1980s in a small Greek village located on the hilltop of Mount Olympus. Sunday, a cool, confident 17-year-girl, lives a carefree life, mostly hanging out with her gang at the local bar while her happily married parents run their convenience store. But all that changes when on a “pretty ordinary day” Sunday’s father (Yiannis) enters the store furious and grabs Sunday’s mom (Chrysa) from her hair, demanding to know if his only daughter, is his biological child.

Late 1960s, same village, different girl, same age.

Young-Chrysa, Calliga’s favorite daughter, heads for church accompanied by her entire family. Meanwhile, on the less prominent side of the village, Young-Yiannis is awaken by his best pal, who has come for help because his reputation has been tarnished by the village’s sissy the previous night at the local bar (Paradise bar). Young-Yiannis comes up with a plan; his pal will kiss a virgin in front of his friends and his reputation will be restored.

The two friends head for the church where they will execute their plan. But when the moment comes for Young-Yiannis’s friend to kiss the virgin of his choice (Young-Chrysa), Young-Yiannis cuts in, grabs Young-Chrysa and kisses her instead. Although after that kiss Young-Chrysa’s prospects of marrying within the family’s social status are at stake, the Calligas aren’t about to hand their daughter to a pauper.

As the two chronologically different stories evolve, the two women (daughter and mother) realize that they have much more in common than they initially thought.

In the end, as Sunday’s parents’ love story loses some of its mythical glamour, Sunday crosses the threshold into adulthood and matures emotionally.

Writer Statement

The screenplay of “The Last Day of Paradise” is based on my first novel published by Gival Press in the US during the fall of 2006. Its love story is based on my parents’ love story and is set in the small Greek village I grew up. “Mama Mia”, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and "The Durrells in Corfu" share thematic similarities with “The Last Day of Paradise”.