Directed by Rinio Dragasaki
Written by Rinio Dragasaki and Katerina Kaklamani
Starring Maria Kitsou, Dimitris Drosos and Pipera Maya
Running time 1 hour and 40 minutes
Language: Greek 

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport 

“If you found a kid, what would you do?”

Something I have been rather certain of for the majority of my life is that I did not want children. I may not be able to make decisions when it comes to pizza toppings, ice cream flavors or what type of noodle variety to use for my macaroni and cheese dinner… but when it comes to kids, the answer is always a definitive “NO” (said in Klopek voice).

I much prefer the company of my doggo, my dollz and of course my movies. In watching Rino Dragaski’s feature debut, Cosmic Candy there is a high probability many will experience a similar sentiment. Her film is a colorful, yet unnerving tale about an eccentric grocery store cashier, Anna (Maria Kitsou). To say Anna has a couple quirks is an understatement, it would be more accurate (and polite) to say she simply walks to the beat of her own drum. It is established that Anna lives a life filled with rituals. Kitchen cabinets lined with groceries that are replaced as quickly as they are used. Compulsively buying exercise equipment that is left to remain in the box filling her apartment’s entryway like house plants. Her days revolve around going to her dead-end job and, well, eating candy. 

Anna has a slight addiction to a Pop-Rock style confectionery known as the titular, Cosmic Candy. This is not her only problem though. Her job is on the rocks, due to her piss-poor attitude, lack of desire to follow the basic rules and, welllll, submitting unauthorized orders of candy for personal use. Outside of her work life, she doesn’t seem to have much of an existence at all. So when her boss attempts to terminate her employment, she musters up just enough strength to throw a fellow coworker under the bus in order to save her skin. Her dismal personality and lack of empathy towards others does not make her an ideal candidate for after work hangs. So she primarily spends her time alone in her thoughts with her sweet confections.

Her unusual hermetic lifestyle is disrupted by a tornado, her neighbor’s daughter. Persa (Pipera Maya) could not be more different than Anna. A rambunctious extrovert with a fearless personality. Despite their differences, the two girls do share a disregard for authority and lack of parental control. Persa stumbled into Anna’s life after her father mysteriously disappeared. An experience that Anna can very much relate to, as her dad went missing after a hiking expedition. 

Persa’s father’s departure seems to be a bit more complicated, it may have something to do with the building residents signing a petition to have him and his daughter removed- a request that Anna also signed, by the way. Or maybe his exodus is something more nefarious? Regardless, the two experience a slew of life changing events that provide moments of growth, reflection, adventure and what it means to have a friend. 

This movie is not perfect, but neither is life. It is not often that we as an audience are afforded the stories of two young women attempting to not only find themselves, but to experience a journey such as this together. I appreciated the director’s unique style of telling the story with the use of dream-like sequences and colorful palette. I found this to be a story about, not just letting go but, discovering ways to move on with your life in a new way. Sure, it might be different but that does not necessarily mean that you can’t find a new type of sweetness. 

Available to watch on demand via Fantasia Festival here, starting August 20 until September 2.