Suntan

Kostis, a middle-aged doctor and general practitioner, finds himself arriving on a serene resort island where he is greeted by the mayor. The mayor explains that outside the bustling summer months, the population dwindles to around 800, leading to tranquil living. During the Christmas festivities, Kostis begins to mingle with the locals, including a boisterous villager named Takis, who crudely hints that the island will soon be flooded with youthful, hedonistic women.

As summer rolls in, Kostis attends to a young tourist named Anna, who comes in with an injured leg. Accompanied by her rowdy friends—Alin, Mila, Jason, and Morten—they are anything but subtle while waiting, treating the examination room like a playground. Kostis manages to keep his composure and asks Anna a series of questions while she cheekily turns the tables, revealing her youthful age of 21. Before leaving, Anna playfully suggests that Kostis should join them at the beach.

Once his workday concludes, Kostis makes his way to the beach, where he feels out of place, being overweight and balding. Fully clothed, he has trouble fitting in, but after nervously shedding some layers, he approaches Anna and her friends, hoping to lighten the mood with humor by asking for a lighter. Recognizing him, they cheerfully invite him to join their fun. Kostis finds himself entranced as he watches them frolicking nude in the surf, eventually mustering the courage to join them. As he ventures into the water to check on Anna’s leg, she unexpectedly dives underwater, teasing him playfully, which only deepens his infatuation. In an effort to win their favor, Kostis begins frequenting the beach daily and even provides his new friends with free beer. On one occasion, he disregards an elderly woman’s complaint of back pain so he can rush back to the beach.

Anna then invites him to a pool party, a decision that initially makes Kostis hesitant. However, his old medical school colleague Orestis, who happens to be vacationing nearby, encourages him to go. Once at the party, Kostis discovers the atmosphere to be one of uninhibited revelry, where everyone engages in passionate kisses—however, his heart is solely set on Anna. After sharing a kiss, she quickly moves on to other partners, causing Kostis to feel a pang of jealousy, leading to a brief emotional confrontation. Orestis reassures him, implying these parties may not be suitable for middle-aged men like them.

As Kostis ingrains himself deeper into Anna’s social circle, town folk begin to notice his inappropriate behavior, such as neglecting patients for beach outings. Eventually, Anna invites him to the beach for a private rendezvous, where they consummate their relationship for the first time. Feeling a rush of shame for finishing too soon, Kostis mumbles an apology, but Anna dismisses it, assuring him that they have the entire summer to explore each other. Yet, soon after their encounter, Anna suddenly disappears from the island, leaving Kostis in a state of dissatisfaction and confusion, as he desperately searches beaches and bars for her.

In a drunken haze, he encounters Takis, who urges him to indulge in more reckless behavior. They end up picking up a female tourist, but Kostis finds himself in a protector role, standing up for her against Takis, thus igniting a brief romantic encounter. The moment Anna re-emerges, elatedly jumping into his arms, Kostis feels an urge to confront her for leaving. However, when she expresses her displeasure and emphasizes her desire to part ways, Kostis finds himself crushed and filled with despair. He begins to stalk her, witnessing Anna partake in intimate escapades with other men, culminating in an aggressive attempt to dance with her at a club that results in his ejection by the bouncer.

As the pieces of his life unravel, Kostis arrives late to an emergency at the clinic, prompting the mayor to fire him out of frustration. Left to wallow in his misery, he succumbs to alcohol, becomes violent with one of Anna’s friends, and ultimately decrees himself morally bankrupt by kidnapping her. After administering drugs to her and dragging her back to the clinic, he reaches a moment of clarity where he refrains from crossing a line he cannot uncross—he checks her pulse and, overwhelmed with emotion, takes care of a wound on her leg, echoing the turmoil of his own collapsing world.

Last Updated: November 04, 2024 at 00:00