Migrations, Prospects

Abstract

Film enthusiasts the world over may be excused for knowing little about Greek film. The extent of their appreciation usually peters out after a faltering mention of Michalis Cacoyiannis’s Zorba the Greek or his film versions of classical tragedies, Melina Mercouri, or the diasporic likes of Elia Kazan, Costa Gavras, or John Cassavetes. Theo Angelopoulos is probably the one director most will know, even if they refer to him only as the director whose names begins with an A or whose films are painfully slow but beautiful. Angelopoulos represents the Alpha and the Omega of Greek film worldwide. His Θίασος (Traveling Players) (1975) has been listed among the ten masterpieces of world cinema; his films routinely attract transnational audiences; and he is the only Greek film director to have received top honors at the Cannes Film Festival for his film Eternity and a Day (1998).

Lysistrata: “Imagine the citizen body is a raw fleece. You start by putting it in a bath and washing out the dung; then lay it on a bed, beat out the villains with a stick and pick out the burrs. Then you have to deal with the cliques, who knot themselves together to get chosen for public office; you must card those out and pick off their head. Then you card all the wool into the work-basket of Civil Goodwill—including everyone, immigrants, friendly foreigners—yes, and even those who are debt into the Treasury! Not only that. There are many other states which are colonies of Athens. At the moment these are lying around all over the place, like little flocks of wool. You should pick them up, bring them here, and put them all together in one great ball of wool—and from that you can weave the People a nice warm cloak to wear.”

—Aristophanes, Lysistrata, ll. 574–587