Konstantinos Lachanas:The Light Touch and Depth of a Film Casanova

Wittingly or unwittingly, many men have conducted themselves in ways that exhibit a callousness towards women. You can’t convict an entire gender for the actions of some of their members but you can present the type of behavior which is detrimental. Self-awareness is a required factor of this; films like The Light Touch explore this with an apropos attitude. The Light Touch is layered with comedy, romance, and a need for “wokeness” in the character of Rodrigo played by Greek actor Konstantinos Lachanas. Though the film is a comedy about two women falling in love, the performance Konstantinos delivers contributes massively to the depth of the story. As a tempting Casanova who might disrupt the romance between Becky and Miranda, Rodrigo brings into question why a suitor pursues a love interest and the motivations behind these actions. While lighthearted on the surface, the performance Konstantinos delivers prompts one to wonder how he arrived at such a security in believing his advances are in the best interest of himself or others. In so doing, Lachanas is able to avoid any heavy-handed or obvious portrayal, making the evolution of the storyline even more compelling.

Recipient of four nominations from the Maverick Movie Awards, this Robert Maclean directed film is the love story of a pickpocket named Becky who falls for Miranda in a chance meeting. Becky is being pursued by a relentless lawman, making her efforts to woo Miranda challenging. Another surmountable obstacle is the handsome and charming Rodrigo who also has his eyes set on Miranda. Beautifully shot by Panagiotis Golfis, known for his Best Cinematography awards from the Canada International Film Festival, London Greek Film Festival, and others, The Light Touch embraces the warm visual aesthetic of modern romance production while the complexity of the character performances construct an intricate series of connections that supersede the norm of the genre. This is a tale built upon multiple pursuits which pose the question of the morality of intentions behind the main and supporting players.

Rodrigo is a dichotomy. He’s unquestionably handsome and wields a charm which can entice nearly any woman whom he sets his sights upon. As a “player”, he is interested in conquests and thus ego-driven. As distasteful as this is, it’s not unusual in many societies. Rodrigo knows that Miranda (Skyrah Archer) is in love with Becky (Tess Spentzos), a factor which makes him even more committed to seducing her. When he and Miranda are nearly caught by Becky on a secluded walk in the park, Rodrigo sees this as simply part of the challenge of winning her over. Rodrigo may be an ego-driven character but Konstantinos searched deeper to find the less obvious parts of him and thereby portray him as more than simply the sum of these actions. The actor relates, “The most challenging part of being Rodrigo was that I had to portray someone who is a good person but whose ego causes him to have negative intensions. He is much more desiring of a high profile status than myself and I needed to understand what made him get this way. After reading the script a couple of times, I formulated the idea of how Rodrigo came to be this type of person. My first impression was that his feelings were hurt by a woman and that’s why he flirts a lot. Of course that was the most obvious, superficial reason. As I was going deeper into the role, I connected his flirting addiction to the lack of his mother’s love. His mother died out of cancer when he was young and he was raised by his unstable father which led to Rodrigo not trusting anyone in his life. Connecting his dark past to his present day actions gave me a deeper dimension with which to approach of the role. Focusing on the darkness of the character in this comedy project gave me the perfect balance I needed to keep this Casanova type of guy interesting.” This thoughtful approach to manifesting the only male in a love triangle at the center of The Light Touch both earned rave reviews for Konstantinos and served to make the amorous relationship of the two women the goal that the audience cheered for. At least in this film, Lachanas proved that a “third wheel” is quite relevant and necessary.

Konstantinos will call upon his personal life experience as a member of the “Presidential Guard” of Greece for his lead role in the upcoming Iced Chosin, about a US Marine unit which infiltrated North Korean Ground to withdraw a US Army Task Force which suffered heavy casualties and the full brunt of the Chinese offensive.  Iced Chosin is film based on a true story that took place during the Korean War. The film began production on location in North China, next to the North Korean boarder but shut down after two weeks when Covid-19 forced a worldwide end of all filming. Set to commence filming again in 2021, Iced Chosin promises to feature Konstantinos Lachanas as a brave Marine lieutenant who is rooted in the admirable traits that a man can offer.