Left Behind is a film made entirely on a Super 8 camera. In the film Nefeli, a young Greek activist turns her breakup diary into a film. What initially appears to be an intimate exploration of memories with a past lover quickly transforms into a political take on love, empathy, and the need for collectiveness.

As stated by the filmmaker, “From the financial crisis up to the art workers' movement—which was ongoing when the film was shot— young people in Greece have experienced unprecedented economic insecurity and police brutality. During this time, many of us have also lived through unstable relationships, lost loves, and a profound melancholy.”

The film encapsulates the friction between the personal and the political by resinifying the last images Nefeli shared with her last relationship while simultaneously shedding light on the way one may understand empathy, and ultimately, the need for collectiveness in a system that is collapsing.

Karpouzis uses an essayistic blend of strategies to express the connection between the personal and the political and to show how political solidarity can transform individuals.

This film is screened with The Strike, a film inspired by a woman that goes on a sex strike.

AC