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The Taverna
A blue gradient background with a collage of the film's actors. A caption above reads "The Taverna", and below "In Cinemas July 2".
Promotional poster
Directed byAlkinos Tsilimidos
Screenplay byAlkinos Tsilimidos
Produced by
Starring
Production
company
Rescued Films
Release date
  • 2 July 2020 (2020-07-02) (Australia)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Box office$21,695

The Taverna is a black comedy film directed by Alkinos Tsilimidos that was released in July 2020. Starring Vangelis Mourikis, the film is set inside a Melbourne Greek restaurant in the span of one night. Initially premiering at the Greek Film Festival at Melbourne and Sydney in October 2019, the commercial release of The Taverna was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately releasing in Australian cinemas on 2 July 2020. The film grossed $21,695 at the Australian box office.

Plot summary

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Kostas owns a Greek restaurant, the White Village Greek Taverna, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. On a packed night, belly dancer Jamila performs for the crowd, but refuses to go out again after spotting her ex-husband Arman dining with his new partner Rebecca. Sally, one of the waitstaff at the restaurant and a prospective actress, offers to belly dance in place of Jamila, setting off a chaotic chain of events.

Cast

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Production and themes

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Alkinos Tsilimidos directed The Taverna.

The Taverna was filmed in the White Village Tavern, a Greek restaurant in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick.[1] It was shot across sixteen days during the summer of 2019.[1] Alkinos Tsilimidos, the film's director, stated that he was inspired by the style of cinema verite, saying "I wanted audiences to experience a personal relationship with the characters as if they were subjects of a documentary".[2] Tsilimidos has called The Taverna his "most personal film", due to his childhood recollections of eating in Greek restaurants as a Greek Australian, which he said "led to an overwhelming feeling of belonging".[3][4] Tsilimidos has stated (as per the Australian Arts Review) that he often held wrap parties following his productions at the White Village Tavern.[5] The film has been described as a black comedy.[2][3] Vangelis Mourikis, who plays Kostas in The Taverna, said that the common ground in the film was the food of the taverna, which he connected to Hestia, the ancient Greek goddess of the hearth.[3]

Release

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The Taverna received its world premiere on 20 October 2019 at the Greek Film Festival, screened both at Melbourne's Astor Theatre and in Sydney.[6][7] Initially planned to be released to Australian cinemas on 30 April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns delayed the release to 2 July 2020.[1][8] The film was released to cinemas in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, as well as Palace Cinemas locations across Australia, on 2 July.[4] Per Box Office Mojo, The Taverna grossed $9,835 on its opening weekend, for a total of $21,695 at the Australian box office.[9] The Taverna was also screened at the 2025 edition of the Greek Film Festival.[10]

Critical reception

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Jake Wilson of The Age gave The Taverna three out of five stars, complimenting the "abundant charisma" of Mourikis, and remarking that Tsilimidos has a tendency to push the film towards drama due to his directorial oeuvre, which Wilson considered to be "a strength on the whole", despite creating confusion in regards to "certain plot twists".[11] FilmInk's review of The Taverna described it as "a true delight", noting the film as a "left turn" within Tsilimidos' filmography.[12] FilmInk also praised the cast's performance as authentic and befitting the context of a suburban Greek restaurant.[12] Writing for Heavy magazine, Dave Griffiths called the plot of the film both "simple" and "extremely entertaining", noting the naturalism of the film, which Griffiths connected to theatre.[13] Griffiths lauded the acting performance of the cast, describing The Taverna as having "one of the best ensemble casts I have seen in Australian cinema over the past few years".[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Free, Erin (2 July 2020). "Alkinos Tsilimidos Takes A Seat In The Taverna". FilmInk. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b Apostolou, Panos (16 October 2019). "A "Taverna" night that changes everything!". SBS Greek. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Thomaidou, Zoe (30 June 2020). "'The Taverna' invites you to a hilariously chaotic night at a Greek restaurant – Sound familiar?". Neos Kosmos. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b Simos, Andriana (2 July 2020). "'The Taverna' set to make national debut with a strong serving of laughter". The Greek Herald. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  5. ^ "The Taverna". Australian Arts Review. 26 June 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  6. ^ Thomaidou, Zoe (17 October 2019). "Greek Film Festival set to close this weekend with a blast of laughter". Neos Kosmos. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  7. ^ "World premier of "The Taverna" wraps up successful 2019 Greek Film Festival". Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  8. ^ Thomaidou, Zoe (20 June 2020). "No need to be Greek to enjoy 'The Taverna', but if you are – even better". Neos Kosmos. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  9. ^ "The Taverna". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Special events at the 30th Greek Film Festival in Melbourne". The Greek Herald. 23 September 2025. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  11. ^ Wilson, Jake (1 July 2020). "The Taverna review: wild twists stay close to home". The Age. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  12. ^ a b "The Taverna". FilmInk. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 26 March 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  13. ^ a b Griffiths, Dave (21 July 2020). "THE TAVERNA Review". Heavy. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
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