Summary
- Fatih Akin presented Ghost Song at its Greek premiere in Thessaloniki.
- The initial idea came from his ten-year-old son and developed over a decade.
- He revealed plans to shoot his next film in Greece.
- The movie uses a gradual transition from monochrome cinematography into colour.
Fatih Akin revealed in Thessaloniki that he plans to shoot his next film in Greece, while explaining how an idea suggested by his ten-year-old son became Ghost Song a decade later.
The filmmaker attended the Greek premiere at Olympion on Sunday, 8 November 2026, as part of the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Artistic director Orestis Andreadakis introduced the screening, noting that this was the seventh time Akin had presented a film at the festival.
Akin is scouting Greek islands for his next film
The evening’s major revelation concerned Akin’s next project. He told the audience that he intends to shoot in Greece and will soon visit Greek islands to scout locations. Securing financing is the next step, so neither a confirmed shooting schedule nor a specific island has been announced.
Akin thanked the audience in Greek and spoke warmly about his longstanding connections with Thessaloniki, where he has friends and collaborators dating back to his early career.
A childhood idea that took ten years to become a screenplay
About a decade ago, Akin’s then ten-year-old son suggested a story about two friends, one of whom is a ghost. Akin was drawn to the prospect of a more fairy-tale-like film, different from his tougher earlier work.
The script took years to develop. Akin enlisted screenwriter Ruth Toma, with whom he shares the final writing credit, while he continued making other films. He repeatedly returned to the story with different directions before it reached the version screened in Thessaloniki.
A love story told across 40 nights, from monochrome into colour
In Ghost Song, Faris and Farasha meet at a graduation celebration, but a fatal car accident takes her life. Farasha returns to Faris in his dreams for 40 nights, in a story connecting love, grief and spiritual tradition.
The 106-minute German production from 2026 stars Mariam Dawoud and Eren M. Güvercin. Frank Griebe is the cinematographer and Andrew Bird the editor. The imagery begins in black and white and gradually shifts into colour as Farasha’s journey unfolds, allowing the visual language itself to carry part of the narrative.
Akin acknowledged that viewers may interpret the film as political, poetic or existential. For him, however, its centre is the love between the young couple and his own love for cinema.
Greek theatrical release
Producer and distributor Zinos Panagiotidis of Rosebud.21 announced at the event that the film is scheduled to reach Greek cinemas on Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2027. The Thessaloniki screening was its Greek premiere.
What we think
For filmmakers, the development of Ghost Song offers a familiar lesson: a strong idea can be simple, but finding its right form may take years. Akin did not treat the first version of the script as definitive. He returned to it while making other films and allowed the story to change.
The gradual shift from black and white into colour is particularly compelling. It is the kind of choice filmmakers should watch closely: cinematography is not simply making a script look attractive, but actively shaping its emotional and dramatic meaning.
The possibility of an Akin production in Greece is also promising for local film crews and production professionals. What matters next is how the location scouting, financing and production plans develop into actual work on the ground.
