To nisi

It's really nice that the viewers in Serbia had a chance to see this brilliant TV series (Pink, March, 2012), though I doubt that many endured to watch it all the way. Unlike many similar TV products (especially Spanish, Turkish, Brazilian and Indian), this series did not offer us a fairy tale on luxury and 'la dolce vita', but the touching story about a serious illness, human isolation, suffering and fear ... with a lot of emotional charge.

A small rocky island, so near yet so far away from the rest of the world, has become the personification of horror and despair of the despised and rejected. But even in this terrible and gloomy setting there is enough room for human hope, enthusiasm, friendship, and love. Although it does not seem so at first glance, the series actually emits optimism because it shows that people in difficult personal situations can accept their ill fate in a dignified way.

The atmosphere was brilliantly depicted as well as the characters, especially the main ones. Needless to say: the actors are fascinating, including children and 'naturščiks' (non-professional actors). Despite some possible small flaws (in the script, directing, or editing?) in two or three episodes (WWII), the series is, in general, excellent!

Finally, I would like to point out something that is important for viewers in Serbia: translation was perfect. The translator (unsigned?) respected what the actors uttered in Greek, skillfully adapting certain colloquial expressions to Serbian ones.

All in all, 'To Nisi' is a job well done!

Based on the novel The Island by Victoria Hislop, the series takes place on the island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Crete, and in the village of Plaka which lies within swimming distance across it. To Nisi tells the story of Alexis Fielding, a woman on the cusp of a life-changing decision. Alexis knows little about her family's past and has always resented her mother for refusing to discuss it. She knows only that her mother, Sophia, grew up in Plaka, a small Cretan village, before moving to London, England. Making her first visit to Crete to see the village where her mother was born, Alexis discovers that the village of Plaka faces the small, now deserted island of Spinalonga, which she is surprised to learn was Greece's leper colony for much of the 20th century. At Plaka, Alexis meets an old friend of her mother's, Fotini, who is prepared to tell her the entire tragic story of her family that Sophia has spent her life concealing—the story of Eleni, her grandmother, and of a family torn apart by war and passion. Alexis discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, along with the horror and pity of the leper colony which was once there.

This series is marvelous. The characters, the plot twists, the tragedies and overall the Greek and human history lecture lure the audience in an emotional roller-coaster.We have to thank Victoria Hislop for this "gift" because she refused all the Hollywood offers for her book so she can grant the rights to a Greek production. To sum up, To Nisi is the best TV series Greece has produces and one of the best of 2010-2011!

The story, the characters, acting, locale all of it is simply beautiful...do watch.

An absolutely amazing work; fiercely emotional, gorgeously filmed, each character full of life.

I'm not going to say anything about the story, just watch it for yourself.

This series is not only a big budget, it is a huge enterprise artistically. It manages to combine excellent modern Direction with top notch photography and artistic Acting you can easily only find in Theatre. I heard it may be syndicated or made into a DVD with subtitles. It'd be excellent for the rest of the world to see what this Country can offer.

With an English writer offering Catharsis to the Characters it's also a first for Greece: A big story that doesn't end only in tears.

It will satisfy all ages, offering a range of characters from children to old people, it will reach the minorities in any society being sidelined.