A Tale of Two Isles (2014) User Reviews

Who killed the Greek electric car?

[temperidis · 9/10 · 13 October 2014]

"A tale of two Isles" is a bright example of how modern documentaries should be made. The movie is about the forgotten story of a tiny electric car that was born in the United Kingdom too early and died on a Greek island too soon (this is not a spoiler - it is history).

The cinematography is a refreshing in depth report - a la BBC - mixed with fiction movie narrative dominated by passion, nostalgia and political comment. The movie introduces an inspired "time machine" gimmick that I don't remember to have seen before on screen.

Despite "A tale of two Isles" is a low budget project, it doesn't look so on the screen. Even if it was created from scratch by a journalist, it seems it was created for the shake of good cinema, not just for grubbing "an awful truth" related to the automotive industry (that till recently it hated electric cars!)

It is remarkable that the movie never gets boring. It unfolds a real life story in an absorbing way with honesty and compassion. The director keeps a distance from the facts and never imposes his personal opinion.

If you are related to the automotive industry, "A tale of two Isles" is a must see! If you are Greek, you will understand why your country was destined to bankruptcy. If you are none of the above, watching the movie you will get to know a surrealistic story that was forgotten for years. What is more surreal than an electric car built in an exotic Greek island in the 70's?

I was among the lucky few who watched this movie (it premiered in the Documentary Festival of Thessaloniki 2014) and I can tell you I mildly weeped in the last scene. Which I don't intend to spoil of course...

a story about a shipyard building electric cars an Greek island in the 60ies!

[plask · 9/10 · 28 January 2015]

I was sent the documentary by an old friend who is a fanatic fan of automobile. I knew a bit about the ENFIELD story, so I opened the film just to have a look for a few minutes....... and saw all the 1 hour 19min film. It is really touching how a few men believed in a very advanced project for its time and invested in it, while others worked hard to make it a reality, despite the fact that it was many years before any Electric Vehicle started showing up.

Taking account of the fact that the whole story took place in Greece more than 40 years ago, one can imagine that it was not easy work to find so many document, photos, films and people who worked for the an automobile project, on a shipyard, located on the touristic island of Siros in the Aegean sea.

I believe the work is of exceptional quality from all sides (film, narration and especially editing) as a documentary film. It is also a historical proof of how any industrial activity in Greece, was never easy, as it always had tremendous bureaucratic and even political difficulties.

Two completely different islands. One pioneering effort.

[papoutsis-george · 9/10 · 14 September 2014]

A documentary filmed with a few technical resources but much soul and feeling. Reveals many hidden truths and awakens a lot of childhood memories. Describes a very innovative attempt that failed in its implementation. A project that is loved by the Greek society but failed to blossom into a nearly isolated small island that had no relationship with the mighty automaker factories of England. Actors in this documentary are the real designers and workers of the first electric car. In the film you can see some of the last remained Enfield Cars still moving after 40 years from the date of there production, needing only new batteries after all these years.

The odyssey of a bright idea

[gliamadis · 10/10 · 16 October 2014]

The film "A Tale of Two Isles" is a documentary about the untold story of the Enfield 8000 electric car. At the same time, it is an ode to human creativity, as well as to the obstacles and intrigues this runs up against. It is soundly directed, with exceptional photography and music.

Whereas it was my personal scientific interest in cars and car design that drove me to watch the film in the first place, it didn't take me long to appreciate the deeper qualities of Michalis Stavropoulos's work: the careful and in-depth exploration of his subject, the artfully woven plot that captivates the audience, but also the sensitive take on his characters and on human creativity.

Through his exquisite storytelling, the viewers experience the story of the Enfield and the people who created it, as if it was a story of their own - a story of an ingenious people that, next to every one of its feats, it creates - as ingeniously - the obstacles to be found in its way. It is a film which serves as a historic memory to a noteworthy project, and at the same time as a witness for the future viewers to one of the first manifestations of a cool and collected thought born to linger in the aftermath of the crisis. In an admirable way, "A Tale of Two Isles" echoes the Greek sensitivity together with the European positivity.

The director does not resort to easy solutions. On the contrary, he explores his subject in depth and multidimensionally. His approach is one of keeping equal distances from the different viewpoints presented, which leaves the viewers free to form their own opinion. This is in itself a rarity nowadays, and in this respect, the documentary "A Tale of Two Isles" could very well be taught at film academies as an example of best practice and high ethics.

Not to be missed!

[evipal2000 · 10/10 · 2 September 2014]

Even though documentary films are not my favorite kind, I must say that "A tale of two isles" is surprisingly interesting, exciting, even moving at certain points. It is not just the story about an electric car made in Greece (at a time that no one else was making electric cars); Much more than this, it is about an honest effort by a certain group of people who believed and tried hard to design and build this car, at a time and with means which did not favor such initiatives. Moreover, the structure of "A tale of two isles" is similar to a fiction movie's structure, with numerous reversals and a catching plot. The director has made a thorough research in his attempt to track down the history of the Enfield 8000, avoiding the "easy" answers, and at the same time traveling in time and in history and paying respect to all aspects. As a teacher, I am definitely going to bring the film in my classroom. Among other things, it proves how strong will, hard work, good cooperation and belief in something can create wonderful things, against all odds. And I believe these are the lessons that first of all students need to take.