They say Al Pacino started this way.

When I first heard of the casting call, I was intrigued.

They were filming segments of a new film, Eden is West, written and directed by academy-award winner Costa-Gavras, in Hersonissos and Elounda and they were looking for extras, mostly expats, to act as tourists.

Costa-Gavras with assistant Joseph Rapp

After practicing my best “James Dean look” in front of the mirror for hours, I appeared before casting directors, Victoria and Sonia, in a café in Ano Hersonissos.

Their first question made me wonder if they were doing a serious movie or a comedy.

“Do you mind doing a nude beach scene? Victoria asked, explaining it would be shot in Elounda. “It’s just a bit part,” she added, seemingly as a double entendre.

When I told them I was concerned that appearing naked would ruin my future career in films, they winked at each other knowingly, and offered me a role as a fully-clothed tourist, being filmed at the Royal Mare Village in Hersonissos.

The film is about an illegal alien, who leaves his unnamed country to seek his fortune in the West. In his early travels, he is cornered in a summer resort, where he is sought by the police and hotel security.

My scenes included appearing with a group of about 40 tourists arriving by bus at that resort, and then the same group departing. Another scene shows the group, during their stay, being asked by hotel officials to help capture the illegal.   

All three sequences, totaling no more than several minutes on screen, were shot over a five-day period.

I arrived on location in front of the Royal Mare at the appointed time ready for . . . lights, camera, action.

What I did was . . . wait . . . and wait . . . and then wait some more. In fact, about 80 percent of the time on the set was actually spent waiting.

The group waiting for ‘action’

They say Robert DeNiro started this way.

In one scene we had to board a tour bus. A short sequence, about two minutes in total, it involves standing in front of the hotel as the bus pulls up, and our luggage being loaded as we climbed on the bus.

In and out of the bus we went, over and over again. It was hot enough standing outside, with the temperature about 27 degrees.  But inside the bus, which was not running so there was no air conditioner, it was well over 40.

Meanwhile, the indefatigable Costa-Gavras, 75, with his trademark hat his only protection from the sun, personally directed every scene, no matter how insignificant it seemed.

For example, he spent considerable time making sure each piece of luggage was properly placed “just right” in the baggage compartment of the bus.

Costa-Gavras directing the luggage

Costa-Gavras is extremely soft spoken for a director, and is noted for never raising his voice. Even speaking to a large, inexperienced group, such as ours, he gave his direction quietly and evenly . . . of course, the assistant director, Joseph Rapp, was always by his side to shout out everything his director said.

Because of the diversified backgrounds of the extras and crew, directions were given in Greek, French and English.

In one scene, Costa-Gavras said to me:

“Στάσου εκεί και μη κουνηθείς αν δε σου δώσω το σήμα.”

When I looked at him with a blank expression, he said:

"Restez à cet endroit et attendez mon signal pour vous déplacer."

As my blankness intensified, the assistant shouted out:

“STAND IN THAT SPOT AND DON’T MOVE UNTIL HE GIVES YOU THE SIGNAL!”

Not that Costa-Gavras doesn’t speak English – it’s another of his fluent languages – It’s just that he doesn’t speak “shout.”

Later, during a break in the hectic shooting schedule, we had a discussion and the director displayed his humorous side. I showed him a copy of The Khronicles and explained I was writing an article from the inside.

The director, holding his copy of The Khronicles, chats with his future ‘star’

“Wonderful,” he replied without missing a beat, “this is the only time I’ve ever had an actor interview himself for a story.”

The extras for these scenes were Greeks and expats from all over Crete, and it was a first-time experience for most.

“I’ve appeared in theatre productions,” said Antonis Palierakis of Rethymnon, “but never in films. This is good experience.”

Hanna Lekarewicz, a native of Sweden who lives in Iraklion, is a fashion model, and has appeared in several Greek magazines.

Hana Lekarewicz

“I see my future as working in tourism, not films, but this is fun,” she said. “I would definitely do it again.”

Nicole Raison, originally from France, teaches her native language in Iraklion.

“When I heard it was Costa-Gavras I just had to be here,” she said. “I’m a great admirer of his films.”

Mihalis Mamalakis, a retired seaman from Amoudara, was hired as an extra, but ended up with a small speaking part, and has a brief scene with one of the movie’s star, Eric Caravaca.

Some of the other extras comprising the group are: Al Pitcher of England, now living in south Crete; Karin Mueller of Sissi, a native of Switzerland, and Silvia Schaffele of Malia, originally from Germany.

At the end of the grueling day’s wait-and-shoot, we went to collect our pay – 50 euros a day. Since there was a total of about 100 extras (groups A and B), and all had to get hand-written cash receipts, we were made to WAIT even for that – another two hours – which turned it into a 12-hour day, or about four euros an hour.

I’m sure Pacino and DeNiro didn’t start that way!

In addition to Crete, Eden is West, is being filmed in Paris and Italy as well, and stars Riccardo Scamarcio and Eric Caravaca. It is scheduled for release early next year.