There’s a ferry heading from Greece to Italy, transporting citizens from both countries between them, as usual. On one particular trip, the ferry is servicing two specific individuals – Victor (Vasilis Magouliotis ), is a former professional diver who has grown too old and slightly unfit to be fully in control of his craft. Matthias (Anton Weil) is an eccentric German wanderer, a vagabond making his way across Europe and spreading his particular brand of humour-tinged philosophy. The two men encounter each other by chance, and they both soon realize how they can use the other to their advantage – Victor has a car that is heading in the same direction that Matthias is, while Matthias knows the region and speaks the language, which would benefit Victor as he makes his way to Bavaria. Both men are heading in that direction for reasons they don’t make entirely clear at first – they both just know that they need to get there eventually. However, regardless of their intentions, they grow to be quite fond of the other, with their brief encounter turning into a strong friendship, and then into something even more when they realize how deep the feeling between them run. Their romance could be brief, or it could be a lifelong relationship – it all depends on whether both of them are willing to surrender to the emotions that continue to simmer with every new moment they are together, learning as much about their gorgeous surroundings as they do one another.

There are many ways to describe The Man with the Answers, the wonderfully constructed second feature film from Stelios Kammitsis. It’s a road trip comedy, a meditative drama about individuality, and a soaring romance. These intersections between genres would normally be indicative of far too much audacity, especially for someone as relatively untested as Kammitsis, but he somehow manages to weave together a true gem of a film, a multilayered portrait of two men on a voyage of self-discovery, travelling through various locations around Italy, and finding themselves in the process. As much as this sounds like a cliche, The Man with the Answers never aims for the low-hanging fruit, but a charming and enticing drama with as much heart as it has humour, which is in an abundance. The director had a clear intention for this story, and he wastes very little time in establishing a clear direction for his characters, who he cherishes in the way any artist would his creations. It’s not a film that immediately strikes potential viewers as something essential – small, quaint and intimate, it doesn’t come across as a film that will be wildly popular based on a surface-level analysis. However, venturing into the world of this film, and allowing this curiously constructed story to surround us, is absolutely worth the time and patience, with the narrative gently guiding us into the heart of this budding friendship (and later romance) between two lost souls, trying desperately to find meaning in a world that has somehow become void of it. A quiet but resilient rumination on the nature of modern existence, and a powerful story of forming connections with the most unexpected people, the film is an absolute triumph.

Much of The Man with the Answers is built on the development of the protagonist, who are two people who encounter each other by chance (even if the film gradually leads us to believe this was a work of serendipity, as many romantic dramas tend to do), and grow to realize they are the exact person the other was missing in their lives. The film functions as the story of two lonely souls finding each other, and developing a strong friendship that eventually flourishes into something much deeper. As a result, it works best to view the film as a character-based drama, where the two central performances are paramount to unlocking the mysteries that lurk at the heart of the film. They’re played by Vasilis Magouliotis and Anton Weil, two relatively unknown actors who make quite an impression in the roles, and immediately establish themselves as a pair of gifted individuals that we should get to know soon, since if these performances tell us anything, it’s that they have raw talents that assimilate perfectly into the modern cinematic landscape. They’re both wonderful, but the film hinges on their chemistry together – and the actors’ gradual growth from strangers to friends to lovers is beautifully conveyed in their performances, each moment between them pushing them forward and helping develop the leads far beyond simply being conventional stock characters. Each subsequent interaction only adds nuance to their relationship, and both actors bring such natural charm to the roles, we sometimes forget that we’re watching constructed performances, rather than genuine expressions of undying devotion. Measured but heartfelt, the film’s portrayal of these two men is exquisite, with the humanity simmering beneath the two central performances being absolutely stunning, and worth every moment of the film. 

The Man with the Answers is an exceptional entry into a steadily growing canon of queer-based stories, where the focus is less on exploring the struggle of coming to terms with one’s identity, and more on just surrendering to the passion we feel within. Mathias and Victor are not bound by anything other than their spiritual connection, and while their sexuality is never overtly discussed, they clearly fall in love based on the value of the other’s soul, rather than anything tangible. The centrepiece theme of the film is the quote by Voltaire, who said that we should “judge a man by his questions rather than his answers”, which the characters embody through their growing relationship happening by way of asking each other a series of questions that reveal as much as much about the speaker as it does the person who responds. There’s a candour to this film that helps it become an insightful journey into the minds of these two men as they come to terms with their simmering emotions, and the realization that these complex feelings indicate something deeper occurring between them. It makes their connection all the more authentic, and when they finally succumb to their desires in an unforgettable moment of pure romance (after nearly an hour of the film teasing their mutual attraction and deep personal connection), it feels entirely genuine. The expression of love is deep and unflinchingly honest, and it only further complements the meaningful conversations that lead to those climactic moments of lust-filled catharsis. It may be very simple in its execution, but there’s a lot of complexity lurking beneath the surface that we can find if we just look beyond the general veneer of the story.

This film is an enthralling portrait of a time and place that feels drawn directly out of the director’s own artistic curiosities. Erotic but profound, The Man with the Answers finds a lot of depth in the most banal and inconsequential moments that exist between two men gradually falling in love. As much of a cliche as it may be, this film is one centred on the idea of the most interesting lessons of life being learnt through travelling through its many challenges – as much as we yearn to reach a destination, what really matters is the journey that gets us there. Kammitsis portrays this absolutely beautifully in The Man with the Answers, in both the physical journey undertaken by the two protagonists, and the more intimate, growing relationship that occurs between them, manifested in their insistence on getting to know each other through asking a series of increasingly revealing questions. It gives us captivating insights into the lives of these ordinary people, who are framed as some of the most unforgettable characters we’re likely to encounter in recent years, since so much work is put into developing them beyond mere archetypes. It’s a beautiful, enthralling portrait of individuality, identity and romance, told through the lens of a gentle comedic drama with a lot of heart and soul, and an even more more profound sense of the various directions it is heading, both physically and metaphorically.