In 1950s Greece, cinematographic production experienced an unprecedented boom, pushing forward its inventiveness, drawing the attention of critics and audiences alike, and propelling Greek cinema onto the international film festival scene. Driven by a handful of talents who drew on folklore and literature while borrowing from both neorealism and film noir, Greek films asserted their creative power on the world stage.
With Grigoris Grigoriou, Maria Plyta, Nikos Koundouros, Jules Dassin and Michael Cacoyannis behind the camera, and Irene Papas and Melina Mercouri headlining the cast, they shaped the golden age of Greek cinema – a reflection of a society marked by war and already foreshadowing the political upheavals of the future.
Greek filmmaker Panos H. Koutras will participate in the film series and will introduce many of the screenings.
Our thanks to Carlotta Films, la Cinémathèque française, Greek Film Archive, Park Circus, Succession Robert Manthoulis, Tamasa
In a Greece characterized by poverty, the Lymberis family bets all its hopes on their youngest son, a brilliant student... A devastating neorealist drama, paving the way for new Greek cinema.
Eva, married to an older man who is often absent, engages in a secret affair with a young vacationer. A portrait of a complex female character and a surprisingly modern perspective by the first woman director of Greece.
An average employee who turns out to be the doppelganger of a fearsome criminal, finds himself mixed up in the underworld of Athens... A masterpiece of modern Greek cinema, striking the perfect note between film noir, social satire and tragedy.
In Piraeus, Ilya lives off her charms and defines her own rules, until she encounters an American (Jules Dassin)... Irresistible Melina Mercouri won the Best Actress Award at Cannes for her performance in this luminous dramatic comedy.
A British writer befriends the exuberant Zorba (Anthony Quinn) during a stay in Crete... The film gained immense international success; the triple-Oscar winner established Michael Cacoyannis as a major director worldwide. Starring Alan Bates and Irène Papas.
An English professor hired by a wealthy family in Athens finds himself tangled in games of seduction, while revolt is brewing on the streets... An acerbic satire of the oblivious Greek bourgeoisie, on the eve of a military coup that would lead to the “Regime of the Colonels” dictatorship.
A peasant leaves his village to reach Piraeus, in hopes of sailing from there to Australia... A triptych of striking realism on exile and leaving one’s roots behind.
