The Dust of Time

2008 2h 8m EL

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 53

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

To trace the fading past of his parents, a grizzled Greek-American filmmaker decides to shoot a movie. By recounting the painful efforts of his mother to reunite with his musician father, his film spans more than half of the 20th century.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Willem Dafoe
A
Bruno Ganz
Jacob
Michel Piccoli
Spyros
Irène Jacob
Eleni
Christiane Paul
Helga
Kostas Apostolidis
Secretary
Tiziana Pfiffner
Young Eleni
Alexandros Mylonas
Man in the Train

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Writers: Theo Angelopoulos, Petros Markaris, Tonino Guerra
Languages: English, German, Greek, Russian
Countries: Russia, Greece, Italy, Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, German, Greek, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Russia, Greece, Italy, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Theo Angelopoulos, shot by Andreas Sinanos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Eleni Karaindrou. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yannis Tsitsopoulos shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Willem Dafoe and Bruno Ganz and Michel Piccoli carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Theo Angelopoulos directs. Andreas Sinanos behind the camera. Eleni Karaindrou scores. Yannis Tsitsopoulos cuts. Produced in Russia, Greece, Italy, Germany. Dialogue in English, German, Greek, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 18 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, German, Greek, Russian.
3International production across 4 countries: Russia, Greece, Italy, Germany.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Theo Angelopoulos, shot by Andreas Sinanos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Eleni Karaindrou. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Yannis Tsitsopoulos shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Willem Dafoe and Bruno Ganz and Michel Piccoli carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0765442 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 53 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.