the big dreams of a small Greek schoolboy on Arte

< My dear child, you spent six years in primary school, the last four of which with me. You must now continue on your way. (…) Your strength, your greatest power, will always be love! The emotion is at its height when the mistress of Kristos gives to his only pupil, in the school of the tiny Patmos, the diploma that will allow the toddler to continue his education. Not easy, however, for the 10-year-old kid with golden skin and calm gaze, to agree to leave his family and his island populated by around forty inhabitants to go to college. In an establishment located on the neighboring island of Patmos, much more populated, which nevertheless counts, everything is relative, 3,000 souls…

Table of Excellence

In his beautiful documentary Kristos, the last child, it is this heartbreaking choice to leave or not that the Franco-Italian director Giulia Amati filmed for a year. His discreet and modest camera shows the two sides of Kristos’ life. In cl, the toddler is focused, especially on his math exercises, in which he excels. His teacher encourages him:You have a lot of potential : don’t belittle yourself.His fear is that his protege will be tempted to give up college as his older brothers have already done. “Times have changed, she says. You can no longer live on a hill with goats and just finish primary school. . »
Life far from school notebooks, in the open air, tending goats and lambs has its good sides. An existence closer to nature that the schoolmistress, who says she grew up in town, in an apartment, discovers alongside her student, after cl. The roles are then reversed: the child teaches the teacher the names of the plants. “You know more than me in this area! You could easily study botany or agronomy “says the professor with a smile.

Silences, smiles and tears

Kristos’ silences, his smiles, his tears when he finally gets on the boat that will take him to the college of Patmos are those of a childhood that is already setting sail. On the quay of the very small port, his parents, his brothers and all the other inhabitants of Arki are proud and send him encouragement. “Never forget that you are unique, you are the one who does something different“, they launch to him. “Your little island will always be there for you», Slips his father. Before comforting him:When you come back, you’ll be proud of yourself!»