Strella is a 2009 Greek drama film written and directed by Panos H. Koutras. The plot originates around the unique relationship between a 45-year-old ex-convinct and a 25-year-old transsexual.
George is released from prison after 14 years of incarceration for a murder he committed in his small Greek village. He spends his first night out in a cheap downtown hotel in Athens. There he meets Strella, a young transsexual prostitute. They spend the night together and soon they fall in love. But the past is catching up with George. With Strella on his side he will have to find a new way out.
The film was shot on location in Athens and Peloponnese. The role of Strella was performed by amateur actress Mina Orfanou, who is a trans woman.
The film premiered in the 59th Berlin Film Festival – Section Panorama in February 2009 and has participated since in more than 20 International Film Festivals all over the world. It was also one of the 48 films nominated for the European Film Awards 2009.Strella won 4 awards out of the 11 it was nominated for, including best actress and art direction, at the first Hellenic Film Academy awards ceremony in 2010.
*Panos H. Koutras is a Greek filmmaker, writer, who made his debut with the feature film The Attack of the Giant Moussaka (1999), a science-fiction parody.He has directed two more films Alithini Zoi (2004) and Strella (2009).
