Writer-director Apollo Bakopoulos discusses his new film Aligned…
Gender and sexuality can sometimes be an impossible thing to express. Dance is often the most vocal form of art, even without words. Why did dance call for you to tell this story?
Dance has helped me overcome cultural internalized shame around bending my body a certain way, especially when dancing intimately with other men. Growing up in a country like Hellas, where there are still many rules around masculine norms, coming out of a boxed shamed mentality, left little room for authentic self-expression. Dance gave me an outlet to make self expression possible. Self-shame can be transcended through the love of dance. I have witnessed people become more authentic and liberated as they dance, breaking those barriers transcending the limitations of spoken language, allowing for a raw, unfiltered expression of identity, emotion, and connection.
It was important to me that the visual experience when watching the film could be “felt”. I wanted to invite people to turn to the beauty of dance and love of the body as art on the journey of revealing hidden parts of the self. Dance opens us up to the possibility of experiencing ourselves in more neutral and fluid ways, which can help us embody these principles into our lives as well. When we allow a flow between both our feminine and masculine qualities, we can experience the full potential of our natural state, and that is unshaped. Dance is discipline and freedom at the same time. The fluidity of the character’s dance mirrors the fluidity of gender and sexuality, that resonates deeply with me. We captured the essence of experiences, struggles and joys in a way that is both intimate and relatable, inviting viewers to feel and understand the story on a deeply personal level. It serves as a mirror of our lives.
We can build and create vulnerable moments without relying heavily on words. It’s incredibly liberating and visually inspiring as the audience discovers access to a rarefied place within themselves through the witness of such artistry. Contemplation of the art of movement instills a sense of freedom and possibility that can permeate all aspects of life and reignites the capacity to dream.
Aeneas is such a powerful, fearless character. Did you find writing him a freeing experience, or does that freedom feel too expansive?
The mirroring of Aenea’s development from fear and rejection to a wiser self recognition of the divine within, is the pas de deux that clarified both for me and for him themes of rejection, self-discovery and self-love. I, too, have struggled with stories of never being good enough or feeling unlovable. I have also experienced myself as courageous and free. I believe the core, existential issues presented in his character are universal. I committed to develop his character in a way that would reflect my journey and feel universally relatable.
The duo settings of Hellas and New York blend so well. As a filmmaker, tell us about juggling those two locations and making them feel cohesive.
I drew upon my own experiences growing up in Hellas, as well as its history, landscapes, mythology and the beauty of ancient architecture. I feel inspired when I look at temples such as the Parthenon, Delphi or the Temple of Poseidon; these three architectural monuments are depicted in Aligned. I see beauty, elegance and sophistication in the way they are designed. It feels like a spiritual experience; I am in awe. My thoughts and consciousness elevate and open up more possibilities; I experience ascension. I feel similarly when I look at the architecture and contemporary design of New York City. These two different cities unite in beauty that makes them alike. The setting of Hellas and New York creates a unique blend of old and new, allowing us to capture an atmosphere of self expression and liberation through dance. The historic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and ‘Top of the Rock.’ – Stunning views of both countries create an atmosphere, the feeling of Eros, the presence of something that has existed for eternity. As far as the technicality, I worked with the two directors of photography, Dan Kneece and Stelios Pissas, to communicate the look and production needs so we could get the best results.
The casting process for the film is unique, with the focal point seemingly being dancers and LGBTQ folks. What did you learn from outside the actor world and searching for others?
Panos Malakos, in the role of Aeneas, is a professional dancer, and this was his first acting experience. Dancing is one of the main storytelling tools of this film and it was important to me that this be a visual experience that could be felt. Panos’ dancing background, along with his LGBTQ identity, was exactly what I was looking for in someone to best match Aeneas. It was challenging to find an actor with this level of dance experience who is also LGBTQ in Hellas. From my own experience in dance, I know that this level of commitment to the discipline is essential. Therefore, the priority was to cast professional dancers for this story about two dancers who would also act, finding the right balance between the two. I trusted that Panos would deliver regardless of his lack of acting experience. Dimitri then prepared a scene with Panos where they read, improved and danced together and they were magical. There was literally a beam of light that shone through the windows and lit up the whole room—that was our sign! They had a good chemistry foundation. Dimitris Fritzelas, an experienced straight actor whose love, passion and personal practice in dance provided him with enough experience to embody the core principles of what Aligned is about in movement.
As a side note, Panos won the Kim Renders Memorial Award for Best Lead Performance at the Reelout Queer Film Festival in Kingston, Canada. It was well deserved. What I learned is to trust my intuition. When something is right and I am in the flow, I can feel it. That’s my biggest takeaway.
Aligned has a beautiful tone, blending innocence and intimacy. Those tones often don’t go together, but you bring them together quickly. Can you speak to that process and how it was balancing the two?
The actors and their characters simultaneously developed a safe relationship. By taking time to get to know one another and practice openness, honesty and vulnerability, an emotional connection can be established and we can build deeper relationships.
As a director, I also kept the “sex” out of the film until a meaningful and heartfelt connection unfolded. Even then, the sex remains ambiguous—did it happen or not? They got to know each other authentically, letting things unfold naturally and meaningfully.
Our narrative celebrates intimacy through playfulness, innocence, enthusiasm, sensuality and love. We all became aligned on this journey. The choreographer Yannis Adoniou truly elevated the dance, adding more layers by highlighting their playfulness. Additionally, dance teacher Thodoris Panas provided excellent guidance, along with coaching and demonstrations.
The combination of the entire cast—all students and dancers offered a sacred part of themselves that touches our hearts. The campus location by the ocean, the art direction, music and cinematography were all intended to create a moving and intimate experience.
Cinematographer Dan Kneece’s work is striking. How did you two come up with the visual language of Aligned?
Our objective was to tell a story that exudes sensuality, innocence, and intimacy while emphasizing a deliberate playful and poetic rhythm. I knew that I was in good hands with Dan and Stelios as the two cinematographers and the choreographer Yannis Adoniou, by engaging in deep discussion. We shared our vision and aligned on common values. Our focus centered on an LGBTQ+ narrative, striving to portray healthy examples of intimacy within the community, celebrating love and connection. Dan Kneece was passionate and committed to telling this story. We were all driven by passion, playfulness, and enthusiasm as we undertook our work.
Panos Malakos and Dimitris Fritzelas are a fantastic team. What was it like building chemistry with them, or was it all between them?
There was a chemistry between them that worked energetically, creating a solid foundation for us to start having conversations to clarify the core principles we would embody to manifest this story. We aimed to develop the scenes where a more sensual kind of intimacy would be the climax, especially considering that Dimitri is straight and Panos isn’t a professional actor. The choreographer, my directing and full cast conversation pushed and challenged our own boundaries and ultimately supported Dimitri and Panos to get comfortable with each other while naked as they felt safe and protected.
Aligned has many strengths, but the music stands out. Was there a sound you wanted specifically for the project, or did that come as you created it?
From the inception of this project, I intended for it to include different genres of music. I wanted to use various artists to contribute their music to the film, aiming for a jukebox feel — reflective of real life, where different songs speak to us in different moments. Each track reflects and represents the core emotional state of its respective scene. And, I chose two main composers to set the thematic tone for each location: Thodoris Nikolaou for the Hellenic theme, reflecting the spirit of Hellas, and Ethan Reece for the contemporary electronic theme, matching the setting of New York. Additionally, some of the music did show up during production and fit perfectly: For example, Wolf Child’s – Gabriel “Make Amends,” Ilian Darlin’s “Kids of Chaos,” and Myrian Clancy’s “Love’s an Affliction, Queen Elise’s ending song for our credits “The Remedy”, And they all support the universality of the core themes of the film.
What was one thing you learned from working on Aligned that you will take with you on future projects?
When I am grounded and connected, I tune in to my intuition and guidance of my higher self. By maintaining my practices and living a life of service, I can move through fear and into trust. I also learned that every experience has a lesson, therefore, I can be grateful for the wisdom even when it comes with struggle. To be aligned within myself first is what I am taking as the foundation for all my future projects and areas of my life.
Many thanks to Apollo Bakopoulos for taking the time for this interview.
