An avid collector of Greek objects in Asia Minor, Dimitris, prepares an exhibition on multicultural life in Smyrna before World War I. In a trip to Izmir his girlfriend Rita, he finds in a small antique shop a Greek wedding dress that is stained with blood and an old photograph that send him on a journey to bridge the past with the present.
Sotiris is a financial editor at a local newspaper, living a mundane life, until he locks eyes with the gorgeous Olga at a Russian expat Christmas party. Unable to get her out his head, he starts looking for the girl of his dreams, only to find himself immersed in a dark and dangerous world, where the difference between illusion and reality will soon be made abundantly clear.With Zenia Kaplan as the proverbial femme fatale, Savvas Karydas explores the twin concepts of escape/dream and dead-end/deceit. From this unique perspective, Illusion could easily be perceived as a film noir. At the same time, it’s a film about contemporary credit crunch societies and their effect on relationships and attitudes, imposing a new moral order where love and friendship are tested, redefined and demystified.
Why didn't Vicky go get her passport sooner? What happened and she was caught crying in a bank? Why does she ask Alexis if he's bored? Will Harris text her? When will her hypochondriac neighbor see her again? None of these questions will be answered. Vicky is leaving tomorrow and she just wants to have fun.
The historical facts in Asia Minor, in the years 1920-1922, are told through the life story of a young Greek woman.