Mikros Vasilias

Ari, a Greek man in his early forties, is trapped behind a pleasant facade cultivated in response to childhood abuse. In truth, Ari fixates violently on any slight or insult. The discovery of his wife’s infidelity brings his repressed anger to the surface and she loses her life for betraying him. While serving his sentence for this crime of passion, prison therapists attempt to subdue his ferocity but their efforts are in vain. In an ironic twist, Ari is offered a chance to channel his fury rather than suppress it. His raw brutality becomes a useful tool and he begins life again with a completely new identity.

In writing The Little King screenplay I wanted to create segments that came as close to fantasy as possible while still remaining within a range that I could produce from a directorial standpoint. The story originated in my disgust at the sexual exploitation of children and developed into an exploration of repressed anger. Ari, the protagonist, has hidden the fact of his childhood abuse until he has lost his natural ability to assert himself in a healthy way, even as an adult. He represses his feelings until the discovery of his wife’s infidelity finally causes his pent up resentment to explode into murderous rage. The Little King is a hypothetical exploration of suppressed anger, which culminates in a final twist of fate.
All scenes were contained and minimal so as not to distract the viewer with unnecessary stimuli. The story opens with Ari, the abused child, and fast-forwards to Ari, the abused adult, who is unable to evaluate his own self-worth. When Ari discovers his beloved wife’s infidelity, his reaction sets him on an entirely new trajectory, and the life he has known is lost to him forever.
On the whole, the short feature film format was ideal for this type of abstracted treatment. I was tremendously fortunate in the cast who put their confidence in me and who brought this film to life. This film was a child in its own way and I am grateful to all those who helped me create it.