Cinema of Greece

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Contents 1 Beginning 2 Golden Age 3 Reprise 4 Filming companies and Studios 5 Renowned figures 5.1 Directors 5.2 Actors 5.3 Directors of Photography 6 Bibliography 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Beginning

In the spring of 1897, the Greeks of Athens had the opportunity and privilege to watch the first cinematic attempts (short movies in 'journal'). The projection of an animated movie resulted in excited reactions and the new-seen spectacle became a usual matter of discussion. 1906 was the birth year of the Greek Cinema when brothers John and Miltiades Manakia 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 theatre of Athens opened about a year later and other special 'projection rooms' begun their activity and gathered a large mass of excited viewers. 1910-11 were the years of the first comic short movies produced by director Spiros Dimitrakopoulos, who also starred in most of his movies. In 1914 the Asty Film company was founded and the production of long films begun. Golfo (Γκόλφω), a well known traditional love story, is the first Greek long movie.

During the First World War, production is limited only in documentaries and newscasts. Directors like George Prokopiou and Dimitris Gaziadis are distinguished for filming scenes from the war lines and the Burning of Smyrna (1922).

The first grand commercial success came in 1920 with "Villar in the women's baths of Faliro" (Ο Βιλλάρ στα γυναικεία λουτρά του Φαλήρου), written, directed and starred by the comedian Villar (Nikolaos Sfakianakis). 1927 was the end of the 'primitive' Greek cinema and the beginning of a serious organization.

During 1928- 1931 the company Dag-Film sees her more productive days, although being around since 1918. Main concern of the company were historical movies, usually adaptations of novels. Most distinct are Δάφνις και Χλόη (1931 directed by Orestes Laskos), Έρως και κύματα (1928 directed by D. Gaziadis). Δάφνις και Χλόη contained the first nude scene in the story of European cinema.

In 1932 the first speaking movie is made by Olympic film, Αγαπητικός της Βοσκοπούλας, directed by D. Tsakiris. Οι Απάχηδες των Αθηνών is one of the most famous early movies, the sound of which is played by a gramophone behind the screen.

Philopemen Finos appeared actively in the production, and was a co-founder of Greek Cinematic Studios (1939). During WWII, Finos founded Finos Films (1942), a company that sealed the fate of commercial Greek cinema. During 1940-41, the most prominent films were: Voice of Heart (Η φωνή της καρδιάς) (1943, directed by D. Ioannopoulos) and Applause (Χειροκροτήματα) (1944, directed by G. Tzavelas). In 1944 Katina Paxinou was honoured with the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for For Whom the Bell Tolls.

[edit] Golden Age

1950's was a period of augmentation of interest and production for vernacular films which are mirrors of modern life. New directors and actors appear who eventually were recognized as historical figures like Alekos Sakelarios, Nikos Tsiforos, Ellie Lambeti, Dinos Iliopoulos, Irene Papas, etc. More than 60 films per year are out. The largest part of them were melodramas and commercial spy adventuers. Notable films were Η κάλπικη λύρα (1955 directed by G. Tzavelas), Πικρό Ψωμί (1951 directed by G. Grigoriou), Δράκος (1956 directed by N. Koundouros), Stella (1955, directed by M. Cacoyannis and written by I. Kampanellis). Finos Film marked also this period with movies such as Λατέρνα, Φτώχεια και Φιλότιμο, Η Θεία από το Σικάγο, Το ξύλο βγήκε από τον Παράδεισο, etc.

[edit] Reprise

In 1999, TV series writers Michael Reppas and Thanassis Papathanasiou, cooperating with famous actors, made the sex taboo comedy Safe Sex. It was proved to be the most successful movie of the later years, and signaled the return of the Golden Age of Greek cinema.

In 2002 the writers returned with To klama vgike apo ton paradeiso (a pun of the title To xylo vgike apo ton paradeiso), which is a parody of the old Finos Films movies, satirizing their clichés and the elements that made them distinct.

In 2004 another big-budget Greek film named Politiki kouzina (A Touch of Spice in English), by director Tassos Boulmetis, was the success of the year at the Greek box office, one of the few Greek films that made over 12 million euros. 2005 was a good year to for Greek films with Nyfes gathering more than a million spectators, and over 7 million in box office. 2006 was also a very good year for Greek films, especially for the film,Λούφα και Παραλαγή: Σειρήνες στο Αιγαίο/Loafing and Camouflage: Sirens in the Aegean, that gathered more than 700.000 spectators and about over 5 million € in Box Office. There were more successful Greek films in the late period, such as Loukoumades me Meli and H Chorodia toy Charitonos.

[edit] Filming companies and Studios

• Finos Film the biggest, dominated the industry, continues to produce after 25 years pause.
• Karagiannis Karatzopoulos, Its the mother company of studio Kappa, one of the big TV producers in Greece.
• Cinegram Film, Tv and advertising Producer, based in Athens.
• Odeon Hellas One of the biggest distributors of Film in Greece, operates own cinemas,
• Stefi big TV production company, coproduces some films through out the year.
• CL productions With 19 years experience, one of the most promising producers.

[edit] Renowned figures

[edit] Directors

• Theo Angelopoulos
• Michael Cacoyannis
• Yannis Dalianidis
• Nikos Koundouros
• Costa Gavras
• Nikos Nikolaidis
• Takis Kanellopoulos
• Nikos Tsiforos
• Giorgos Tzavellas
• Pantelis Voulgaris
• Nikos Panagiotopoulos
• Tasos Mpoulmetis

[edit] Actors

• Manos Katrakis
• Vassilis Diamantopoulos
• Timos Perlegas
• Tzeni Karezi
• Kostas Kazakos
• Melina Mercouri
• Dinos Iliopoulos
• Kostas Hadjichristos
• Irene Papas
• Andreas Barkoulis
• Stratos Tzortzoglou
• Nikos Kourkoulos
• Kostas Voutsas
• Giorgos Foundas
• Spiros Kalogirou
• Dionyssis Papayannopoulos
• Vassilis Logothetidis
• Orestis Makris
• Nikos Kalogeropoulos
• Thanassis Veggos
• Nora Valsami
• Rena Vlahopoulou
• Ellie Lambeti
• Martha Karagianni
• Mary Chronopoulou
• Aliki Vougiouklaki
• Giorgos Kimoulis
• Dimitris Horn
• Dimitris Papamichael
• Yiannis Bezos
• Sotiris Moustakas
• Takis Moschos
• Georges Corraface
• Zoe Laskari
• Stathis Psaltis
• Stamatis Gardelis
• Panos Mihalopoulos
• Alekos Tzanetakos

[edit] Directors of Photography

• Giorgos Arvanitis
• Andreas Sinanos

[edit] 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

[edit] See also

• World cinema
• List of Greek films
• List of Greek actors
• Theatre of Greece

[edit] External links

• Modern Hellenic (Greek) Film (Cinema), Theater and Film Directors, Actors