Newly launched sales company Odd Slice Films has boarded “Stories of a Lie,” directed by Olia Verriopoulou, due to world premiere at IDFA in the Luminous section, and nominated for the best first feature award. A clip debuts below.
The film is a “playful personal investigation on the rationale behind hiding a cancer diagnosis from patients, questioning whether silence protects—or harms—the people we love.”
The film asks: What does concealing (or revealing) the truth do to a patient’s mental state? Is it better to know nothing, or only the bare minimum? Does it differ from patient to patient? Does it happen in Greece because Greek has no word for “infantilize,” or out of fear that merely uttering the “C-word” would open Pandora’s box—with unforeseeable consequences?
“With curiosity, humor and heart, the director dives into a culture of silence, speaking to medical professionals in her close circle (including her theatrical father), while confronting myths, fears and family habits,” according to a statement.
Odd Slice Films’ Martina Droandi, a former sales and acquisitions executive at Austria-based Autlook Filmsales, said: ” ‘Stories of a Lie’ is full of surprising images, revealing an imagination in Olia I truly admire. Her film holds a rare balance of lightness and depth, moving originally between humor and vulnerability without ever losing emotional truth.
“The topic she explores is not a conventional one: a philosophical and ethical dilemma with no easy answers. Approaching it through a personal lens was a bold choice—and it works beautifully. ‘Stories of a Lie’ is a tender, intelligent and deeply human film that I am excited to represent.”
Also in the Odd Slice Films’ catalog are “Amilcar” by Miguel Eek (IDFA, Envision competition, 2025), “Afterlives” by Kevin B. Lee (DocLiboa, BFI London, 2025) and “Silent Observers” (IDFA, 2024, winner of best documentary at DOK.Münich, three awards at the Bulgarian film awards and the artistic vision award at DocAviv).
“Stories of a Lie” is produced by Mina Dreki for Marni Films in Greece and Gaëlle Jones for Perspective Films in France, in coproduction with Tamarisk, Filaos Productions and Yellowgroove. The film is supported by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece, ERT Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation and the CNC in France.
