Perhaps the fact that I was born in a house that overlooked a summer cinema had something to do with it. Because there was no artistic vein in my roots and even less encouragement from my surroundings. The quiet provincialism of my hometown, Limassol, could hardly erase the magic of those first black-and-white impressions.

Unfortunately, being the first son of a prominent lawyer, the only path open to me was the one leading to his office, through law school in England. My unstoppable thirst to escape from reality found an outlet in clandestine visits to the cinema, in an insatiable hunger for novels, and above all in acting out the whims of my imagination in front of anyone willing to watch.

I compensated my family by being perversely excellent in school, which I hated, and extremely attached to my family, which I loved.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]