A SPARTAN DREAM is about a young Greek American history buff who is sent to Greece on family business but ends up reigniting an ancient war to win the heart of a beautiful village girl. The ensemble cast features Greek Canadian Peter Bundic in the lead role, and popular Greek actors Katerina Didaskalou, Renos Haralambidis, Georgia Mesariti, Kostas Koroniaos, and Nikos Tsergas. The film was shot entirely on location in Greece.
A SPARTAN DREAM won Best Feature Film at Prague Actors & Filmmakers Film Festival in 2025 and awards at Cyprus International Film Festival, the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival and the Scandinavian International Film Festival in 2024. The limited theatrical release in five U.S. Cities is August 15, 2025
A SPARTAN DREAM portrays a young man torn between two worlds. What challenges did you experience in making the film, especially with your Greek heritage?
I made this movie as an offering to my family and ancestors. And frankly, I didn’t know how native Greeks would take to this unorthodox story because, in a way, it pokes fun here and there. The main adventure, however, was an embrace to all Greek culture and history throughout time.
How much of the story is drawn from your own life experiences, and as a filmmaker how did you navigate blending fact with fiction?
My many experiences visiting Greece started in 1960 when I was twelve years old. And that first trip was the most important one. Growing up in Wheeling, West Virginia, my father would tell me stories about Greece every night after dinner, and I was mesmerized. I was brainwashed. He shared stories about ancient history that, I learned later, were made up! My father said that I was the Duke of Sparta, and we had a castle there that I would see one day. When we finally reached our ancestral village outside of Sparta, I was introduced to a one-room village home, with no electricity, a well to draw water, and donkeys and goats everywhere. The truth is, as a twelve-year-old, I loved it!
The father-son dynamic is central to the story. What inspired you to set this relationship?
In A Spartan Dream, I used a more common relationship between father and son, that most Greeks have witnessed either through their own experience or the experience of friends and relatives. The first generations that came to America around the beginning of the 20th century had nothing in their pockets. They faced this situation with energy, grit and hope. Descendants of recent immigrants from all nations know this story. It’s not just a Greek American one.
What hurdles does an indie filmmaker face today? How did you overcome them to bring this film to life?
The biggest hurdle is money, so Greece was a wonderful place to film. The Greek government offered a 40% rebate on all expenses incurred in Greece. This was incredibly helpful to me, and I thank the people of Greece. Otherwise, A Spartan Dream would just be a script sitting on my computer. Also, there were no unions in the film industry that we had to deal with. Unions are great when labor needs to deal with large, established production companies. But not so good for small, independent producers. American unions relax their rules somewhat for indies, and they can do a lot more.
What do you hope audiences, especially those who share your cultural background, take away from this film?
I hope that audiences leave the theater with a little elevation to their spirits, a little joy, a little smile and that the story is a small boost to their souls.
Directed by M. Achilles, A SPARTAN DREAM was co-written and co-produced by Leonidas G. Demas, George Demas and Michael A. Nickles along with Greek producers Lilette Botassi, and Dimitris Hatzivogiatzis. The ensemble cast includes Peter Bundic (‘Brad’), Georgia Mesariti (‘Gorgo’), Katerina Didaskalou (‘Melina Mercouri’), Renos Haralambidis (‘Mayor Katsika’), Kostas Koroniaos (‘Roy Rogers’), and Nikos Tsergas (‘Uncle George’). The film was shot entirely on location in Greece.
Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNPzvN2vA-Y
Website: https://www.aspartandream.movie/
“A masterwork of storytelling. A cinematic achievement that stirred souls and sparked conversations”
