While working as a Score Coordinator for film composer George Kallis, I was recruited to write a song for one scene. But it had to be in French – apparently, in 60’s Russia French music was very popular.

The problem was French is not quite my forte. However, my frequent collaborator Eliza Gerontakis – also the perfect voice for this song – speaks it rather well, so she undertook the task to write the lyrics.

The instrumentation is quite evocative of the era, featuring my acoustic guitar, fretless acoustic bass, traditional Greek baglama – in the role of the mandolin – and also the magnificent Budapest orchestra that was arranged by George Kallis himself.

Last but not least, Eliza’s voice really shines in this song. It ended up in two scenes in the film, as seen in the video. As this fantastic review by Jonathan Broxton puts it:

“It would also be remiss of me not to mention the score’s original song, “Mon Premier Amour,” a wonderful piece of 1960s French pastiche written by Kallis’s orchestrator Apostolos Papapostolou and performed by singer/actress Eliza Gerontakis who – despite being Greek – performs it with a sultry Gallic lilt in her voice.“

The movie “Lev Yashin. The Dream Goalkeeper” premiered in Russia in December 2019.