Last Tropics is one of the most visually stunning films I had the chance to see at the In The Palace International Film Festival this year. Directed by Thanasis Trouboukis, the film explores a segment of the existence of three young fishermen and their life of scarcity after a marine crisis threatens the small, almost extinct coastal village they inhabit.

One of the first thoughts that crossed my mind after seeing this short film was how one-of-a-kind the essence of its narrative is. In the world we live in, stories, especially those centered on young protagonists, are rarely detached from society, urban settings, and modern life. If I had to compare what struck me deeply about Last Tropics, I would say its vision reminded me of a modern version of Robinson Crusoe, with the difference that the characters of the narrative are not shipwrecked on a solitary land, but rather the opposite, the last survivors on it, and the reality around them is more than dystopian, though not wrapped in fantastical elements.

In recent years of the 21st century, and not only now, one of the most pressing issues facing humanity is environmental preservation and the protection of natural resources, in order to avoid catastrophes and ecological crises. Perhaps the terrible heatwave that struck Central Europe this summer, for example, is one of many pieces of evidence that we are not handling this task well. The marine crisis that the characters of the film are facing forces them to resort to illegal dynamite fishing in order to catch food — something that is illegal for a reason. A quick investigation into the matter makes the reason quite clear: this method is not only inhumane by nature, but also devastating for entire ecosystems, far beyond just the fishermen’s catch.

Although not particularly rich in plot, the short film draws out the typical arc of human behavior when it comes to our relationship with nature. Man disturbs its peace, then suffers the consequences of his own actions, and in order to save himself from them, continues to destroy it, until he destroys himself along with it. Such is bound to be the fate of the three fishermen as well — or at least one of them — who, despite the crisis that has already taken hold of their village’s coastal ecosystem, find no other option for themselves than to contribute further to it. Something specific I enjoy in the narrative characteristics of the film is the fact that when the fishermen indulge in illegal dynamite fishing, their recklessness already hints at how little they understand the ecosystem they depend on. During this fishing, they catch a poisonous lionfish, which functions almost as fate’s way of restoring justice for this act of violence against nature. The story that the film tells is essentially a series of consequences caused by destructive behavior, leading to both the death of the human and the nature, and I believe it could be best perceived as an allegorical piece.

Last Tropics is an impressive film, not for any other reason than the exceptional authenticity of the story it tells, its visual and aesthetic value, the atmosphere it creates, and the dystopian mood it achieves within a realist genre. The film is thematically relevant, and the narrative lens through which the subject is viewed is original, meaning it’s told in a way you likely wouldn’t see in another film. It’s certainly distinguished by a very clear directorial style, one that is especially engaging. The film was shot on film stock, which makes the visual experience feel even more organic. As for the technical execution of the piece overall — from the actors’ presence to the visual and editing choices — the result is a work that is genuinely a pleasure to watch.

Thinking about this film, I can’t help but recall how all the filmmakers out there believe that every story has already been told, and that telling it again from a different perspective is pointless, since that’s already been done too. Having watched Last Tropics, I do think I now have solid evidence against that statement.