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Cinema of Greece

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Greece has a long and rich cinematic history. Greek films dominate the domestic market, for example Safe Sex had more box office receipts than Titanic. Characteristics of Greek cinema include a dynamic plot, strong character development and erotic themes. Greek cinema has produced the first nudist scene in European cinema in 1931, notable dramas (film noirs) and comedies during the next decades and erotic comedies in the 1990s and 2000s .

Template:European cinema

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History of the Greek cinema

Origins

In the spring of 1897, the Greeks of Athens watched the first cinematic ventures (short movies in 'journal'). In 1906 Greek Cinema was born when Manakis brothers started recording in Macedonia, and the French filmmaker Leons produced the first 'Newscast' from the midi-Olympic games of Athens (the unofficial Olympic games of 1906).

The first cine-theater of Athens opened about a year later and other special 'projection rooms' begun their activity. In 1910-11 the first short comic movies were produced by director Spiros Dimitrakopoulos, who also starred in most of his movies. In 1911 Kostas Bachatoris presented Golfo (Γκόλφω), a well known traditional love story, considered the first Greek feature film. In 1912 was founded the first film company (Athina Film) and in 1916 the Asty Film.

During the First World War, production was limited to documentaries and newscasts only. Directors like George Prokopiou and Dimitris Gaziadis are distinguished for filming scenes from the battlefield and later during the Greco-Turkish war the burning of Smyrna (1922).

The first commercial success came in 1920 with Villar in the women's baths of Faliro (Ο Βιλλάρ στα γυναικεία λουτρά του Φαλήρου), written, directed by and starring comedian Villar (Nikolaos Sfakianakis) and Nitsa Philosofou. In 1924 Michael Michael Michael (!), a Greek comedian, presented some short film comedies.

In 1926 Dimitris Gaziadis founded Dag Films and tried to produce the first speaking movies. In 1927 presented its first movie Eros kai kymata. During 1928–1931 Dag Films was successful. The company mainly produced historical movies, usually adaptations of novels. In 1930 produced another speaking movie: Oi Apahides ton Athinon (a version of a Greek operetta by Nikos Hatziapostolou). Dimitris Gaziadis in 1927 also filmed the Delphic Festival: an idea of Angelos Sikelianos, with the support of his wife, as part of his general effort towards the revival of the "Delphic Idea". The event consisted of Olympic contests, an exhibition of folk art as well as a performance of Prometheus Bound.

In 1931 Astra Film with Orestis Laskos presented Daphnis and Chloe (Δάφνις και Χλόη), contained the first nude scene in the history of European cinema; it was also the first Greek movie which was played abroad. In 1932 Olympia Films presented the movie O agapitikos tis voskopoulas (Ο αγαπητικός της βοσκοπούλας).

Philopemen Finos appeared actively in the production, and was a co-founder of Greek Cinematic Studios (1939). During World War II, Finos founded Finos Films (1942), a company that sealed the fate of commercial Greek cinema. During 1940-44, the most prominent films were: Voice of Heart (Η φωνή της καρδιάς) (1943, directed by Dimitris Ioannopoulos) and Applause (Χειροκροτήματα) (1944, directed by George Tzavellas).

In 1944 Katina Paxinou was honoured with the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for For Whom the Bell Tolls.

The Golden Age

The 1950s and 1960s are considered by many as the Greek Golden age. Directors and actors of this era were recognized as important historical figures in Greece and some gained international acclaim: Mihalis Kakogiannis, Alekos Sakellarios, Melina Mercouri, Nikos Tsiforos, Iakovos Kambanelis, Katina Paxinou, Nikos Koundouros, Ellie Lambeti, Irene Papas etc. More than sixty films per year were made, with the majority having film noir elements. Notable films were Η κάλπικη λίρα (1955 directed by George Tzavellas), Πικρό Ψωμί (1951, directed by Grigoris Grigoriou), Δράκος (O Drakos, 1956, directed by Nikos Koundouros), Stella (1955, directed by Michael Cacoyannis and written by Iakovos Kambanelis).

Cacoyannis also directed Zorba the Greek with Anthony Quinn which received Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film nominations. Finos Film contributed to this period with movies such as Λατέρνα, Φτώχεια και Φιλότιμο, Η Θεία από το Σικάγο, Το ξύλο βγήκε από τον Παράδεισο and many more.

Melina Mercouri became also well-known to international audiences when she starred in the 1960 film Never on Sunday, directed by Jules Dassin. (The couple collaborated on its 1967 musical stage adaptation, Illya Darling, for which she received a Tony Award nomination, as well.) Nominated for an Academy Award for Never on Sunday, she went on to star in such films as Topkapi, Phaedra and Gaily, Gaily.

Modern period

During the 1970s and 1980s Theo Angelopoulos directed a series of notable and appreciated movies. His film Eternity and a Day won the Palme d'Or and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.

In 1999, TV series writers Michalis Reppas and Thanasis Papathanasiou, collaborating with contemporary famous actors made the sex taboo comedy Safe Sex, which was the most successful movie of the decade.

In 2003 another big-budget Greek film named Politiki kouzina (A Touch of Spice), by director Tasos Boulmetis, was the most successful film of the year at the Greek box office, making over 12 million euros. 2004 was also a good year for Greek films with Nyfes gathering more than a million spectators and over 7 million in box office. In 2007 the most successful film was El Greco (2007 film), directed by Yannis Smaragdis.

In 2009 Dogtooth by Yorgos Lanthimos won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and in 2011 was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards.[1] In 2010 Attenberg won the Coppa Volpi Award for Best Actress (Ariane Labed) at the Venice Film Festival.[2] In 2011 Alps won the Osella Award for Best Screenplay (Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimiοs Filippou) at the 68th Venice Film Festival.[3] In 2011, just twenty feature-films were produced.[4]

Notable Greek movies

Ahilleas Madras, one of the first actors and film directors.
Melina Mercouri.
Georges Corraface, cuurent president of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Theodoros Angelopoulos.

Notable Musicals

Filming, distribution companies and studios

Former

Current

Producers

Renowned figures

Directors

Screenwriters

Actors

Directors of Photography

Scenographers

Film score composers

Bibliography

  • Dimitris Koliodimos, The Greek filmography, 1914 through 1996, Jefferson, N.C. [u.a.] : McFarland, 1999, 773p.
  • Journal of Modern Greek Studies 18.1, May 2000, Special Issue: Greek Film

Vrasidas Karalis, A History of Greek Cinema, Continuum, 2012

See also

References

  1. ^ "83rd Academy Awards Nominations Announced" (PDF). oscars.org. 2011-01-25. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  2. ^ http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/archive/67th-festival/awards/
  3. ^ http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/festival/awards/
  4. ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 127. ISBN 978-1908215017. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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