Marcus Markou is a British film maker, playwright and internet entrepreneur.
21-650: Markou's debut feature film Papadopoulos & Sons , starring Stephen Dillane , was completed in 2012. The film was self-distributed by Markou in UK cinemas in April 2013, achieving the second highest screen average of any film in that weekend. This success placed the film among the top five self-distributed UK films in the past 15 years. The film went on to be bought by the BBC, ARTE and Netflix. Markou's approach to distribution included cold calling Greek Orthodox priests asking them to announce
42-534: A charity helping people who have been affected by the economic crisis. The film was later picked up for TV distribution in the UK, France, Germany, Greece and the Middle East. Director Marcus Markou was nominated for the "Breakthrough British filmmaker" award at the London Film Critics Circle Awards 2013 for his work on Papadopoulos & Sons . Morden Hall Park Morden Hall Park
63-537: A restored stableyard, a dog-friendly café, exhibition space and second-hand bookshop. A western part, separately accessed, hosts the National Trust's only Garden Centre. The estate land was originally owned by Westminster Abbey. There is evidence of an earlier manor-house originally built by the Garth family where Morden Lodge now stands. The Hall dates back to the 1770s and contains a variety of natural landscapes, including
84-399: A very tight-knit Greek-Cypriot family", said the director. "However, as we grew older and grew up, my family, like so many other families, broke apart. I also lost so many of my Hellenic roots. In making the film I reached out to that sense of family that had been lost and I reached out to my Hellenic roots. [The film] is not about being Greek or Cypriot at all. I use that as backdrop. It really
105-530: Is Dillane, delivering a terse and rueful performance that’s typically excellent." On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 71% based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 5.73/10. It was shown at several film festivals across the world, including the annual Festival of British Cinema in Dinard , France, the Palm Springs International Film Festival ,
126-513: Is a National Trust park on the banks of the Wandle in Morden , south London . Its several buildings and associated parking included, it is 125 acres (51 ha) of predominantly parkland. Hinting at the former mill leats the river here splits into channels, generally, through it spanned by numerous footbridges. The estate contains Morden Hall itself, Morden Cottage, two well-preserved snuff watermills,
147-618: Is about family unity at a difficult time". The film was shot in the London area. The crew found a street with two empty shops in Morden , South London, and took the lease on them. One became the chip shop The Three Brothers, the other the rival kebab shop. The bridge scene was filmed in Morden Hall Park . The city scenes were filmed in Central London and the mansion scenes in Croydon . Finally,
168-590: The National Trust , when he died. Several Sunday Pictorial garden parties were hosted on the land in this time in aid of the NSPCC with famous British actors such as Richard Attenborough , Alec Guinness and Patricia Roc in attendance. The main entrance to the park is a short walk from Morden town centre, and car parking is available in the Garden Centre car park. The Snuff Mills and Pottingshed Café are near to
189-898: The Seattle International Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival , where it received the Michael Cacoyannis Audience Award. It was also screened at the European Parliament in November 2012. In June 2013, the film was released in 70 cinemas in Germany, with almost 24,000 admissions during the first weekend. It was later screened in Nicosia, Cyprus for a week in late November 2013, with all proceeds being donated to
210-696: The Papadopoulos factory was set in a real Greek food factory in East London. Papadopoulos & Sons was awarded three stars out of five by The Guardian , which described the film as "an ambitious attempt to rewrite Lear for laughter rather than tears. It's a throwback, but relaxed, sweet and funny with it: a first feature that makes an impression by not pushing too hard to make an impression". The Daily Telegraph compared it to Raymond De Felitta 's City Island and concluded that "it gets by almost wholly on hangdog charm, but that’s an underrated asset, and so
231-461: The UK, but due to unprecedented audience demand, extended the run while expanding to more venues. Greek immigrant Harry Papadopoulos has got it all: a mansion, awards and a lavish lifestyle as a successful entrepreneur reigning over a financial empire in the food industry. But when the banking crisis hits, Harry and his family - shy horticulturist James, snobby fashion victim Katie, and precocious child prodigy Theo - lose everything. Everything, except
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#1733086138814252-484: The dormant and forgotten Three Brothers Fish & Chip Shop half-owned by Harry's larger-than-life brother Spiros who's been estranged from the family for years. With no alternative, Harry and his family are forced to pack their bags and reluctantly join Uncle Spiros to live above the neglected Three Brothers chippie. Together they bring the chip shop back to life under the suspicious gaze of their old rival, Hassan, from
273-431: The drama could feel "overworked" at times. Papadopoulos %26 Sons Papadopoulos & Sons is a 2012 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Marcus Markou and self-distributed in the UK and Ireland by Markou's own company Double M Films through an agreement with Cineworld on 5 April 2013. Cineworld initially agreed to distribute the film for one week only in a limited number of screens across
294-522: The film in their Sunday services. Markou speaks extensively about self distribution at film industry events and film festivals and is the subject of self distribution case studies. His play Ordinary Dreams; Or How to Survive a Meltdown with Flair was staged in May 2009 at the Trafalgar Studios with actors James Lance and Adrian Bower . Age-Sex-Location , his play about chat rooms and virtual worlds,
315-606: The main entrance. The Tramlink light rail line from Wimbledon to Croydon , Elmers End and New Addington runs through the northern part of the park, and Phipps Bridge and Morden Road tram stops give access to the park. They are respectively 0.3 mi (0.48 km) and 0.6 mi (0.97 km) walk through the park to the Snuff Mill and Riverside Café. Morden tube station ( Northern line ) and Morden South railway station ( Thameslink ) are respectively 0.4 mi (0.64 km) and 0.9 mi (1.4 km) walk through
336-491: The neighbouring Turkish kebab shop whose son has his eyes on Katie. As each family member comes to terms with their new life, Harry struggles to regain his lost business empire. But as the chip shop returns to life, old memories are stirred and Harry discovers that only when you lose everything can you be free to find it all. Papadopoulos & Sons was inspired by Marcus Markou's own family history and cultural roots, which fuelled his desire to focus on family unity: "I came from
357-456: The parkland of the "Deer Park", meadow and wetland. A number of historic buildings are located in the park, including the Hall itself and preserved watermills where tobacco was once ground into snuff . The land was occupied by the Garth family for generations before the estate was split in two and Morden Hall was built. The Hall was occupied, as a school, for young gentlemen about 1840, until it
378-421: The risk and the rewards, should a film be profitable. In 2023, Markou self-distributed a micro-budget feature film about a couple breaking up called The Wife and Her House Husband together with a short film, Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times – as a double bill. The Guardian described The Wife and Her House Husband as a "worthwhile movie that genuinely gets under the skin of a long marriage" but added that
399-628: The town centre from the main entrance. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the EU's Interreg series of programmes, the Living Green Project was conceived as an exemplar to show how historic assets could be maintained to a highly sustainable standard. Architects Cowper Griffiths were appointed by The National Trust along with engineers Crofton Consulting in 2009 to undertake the design with construction work commencing in 2010. Receiving
420-461: Was sold by Sir Richard Garth to a tobacco merchant Gilliat Hatfeild (1827–1906) in the 1870s. The Hall was a military hospital during the First World War and later a Women and Children's hospital. Gilliat Edward Hatfeild lived at the nearby Morden Cottage. Gilliat Hatfeild's son, Gilliat Edward Hatfeild (1864–9 February 1941), left the core of the estate (including the house) to
441-608: Was staged at the Riverside Studios in 2004 with actor Ed Stoppard . In 2014, Markou was nominated by the London Critics Circle Awards for Breakthrough British Filmmaker. On 11 April 2018, it was announced that Marcus Markou was embarking in a new crowdfunding film and TV venture, along with US producer Cassian Elwes . Their company, dubbed Movie Collective, aims at financing film projects through an innovative crowdfunding approach that allows any investor to share
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