The cinema of Greece has a long and rich history. Though hampered at times by war or political instability, the Greek film industry dominates the domestic market and has experienced international success. Characteristics of Greek cinema include a dynamic plot, strong character development and erotic themes. Two Greek films, ''

Missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras about the 1973 coup in Chile *, a Belgian film ...

'' (1982) and ''

Eternity and a Day ''Eternity and a Day'' (, ') is a 1998 Greek drama film directed by Theo Angelopoulos, and starring Bruno Ganz, Isabelle Renauld and Fabrizio Bentivoglio. The film won the Palme d'Or and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1998 Cannes Film ...

'' (1998), have won the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. Five Greek films have received nominations for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

. Though Greek cinema took root in the early 1900s, the first mature films weren't produced until the 1920s, after the end of the Greco-Turkish War.Vrasidas Karalis,
History of Greek Cinema
' (Continuum International Publishing Group, 2012), pp. ix-xiii. Films during this period, such as '' Astero'' (1929) by Dimitris Gaziadis and ''Maria Pentagiotissa'' (1929) by Ahilleas Madras, consisted of emotional melodramas with an abundance of folkloristic elements.Ephraim Katz, "Greece," ''The Film Encyclopedia'' (New York: HarperResource, 2001), pp. 554-555.

Orestis Laskos Orestis Laskos (; 11 November 1907 – 17 October 1992) was a Greek film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 55 films between 1931 and 1971. He also wrote scripts for 24 films between 1929 and 1971. Family In 1942, he married th ...

's ''

Daphnis and Chloe ''Daphnis and Chloe'' (, ''Daphnis kai Chloē'') is a Greek pastoral novel written during the Roman Empire, the only known work of second-century Hellenistic romance writer Longus. Setting and style It is set on the Greek isle of Lesbos, whe ...

'' (1931), one of the first Greek films to be shown abroad, contained the first voyeuristic nude scene in a European film. During the Axis occupation, the Greek film industry struggled as it was forced to relocate overseas. Following the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...

, Greek cinema experienced a revival. Inspired by

Italian neorealism Italian neorealism (), also known as the Golden Age of Italian Cinema, was a national film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class. They are filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors. They p ...

, directors such as Grigoris Grigoriou and Stelios Tatasopoulos created works during this period shot on location using non-professional actors. During the 1950s and 1960s, Greek cinema experienced a golden age, starting with

Michael Cacoyannis Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...

's ''

Stella Stella or STELLA may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Films * ''Stella'' (1921 film), directed by Edwin J. Collins * ''Stella'' (1943 film), with Zully Moreno * ''Stella'' (1950 film), with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature * ''Stella'' (1955 ...

'' (1955), which was screened at

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

. The 1960 film ''

Never on Sunday ''Never on Sunday'' (, ) is a 1960 Greek romantic comedy film starring, written by and directed by Jules Dassin. The film tells the story of Ilya, a contented Greek prostitute ( Melina Mercouri), and Homer (Dassin), an earnest American classic ...

'' was nominated for five Academy Awards, and its lead actress,

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a prominent political family for multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination and won a F ...

, won the Best Actress Award at Cannes. Cacoyannis's ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' (, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek intellectual who ventures to escape his bookish life with the aid of the boisterous and m ...

'' (1964) won three Academy Awards. Other films released in this era, such as ''

The Counterfeit Coin ''The Counterfeit Coin'' (; also Η κάλπικη λίρα, ''I kalpiki lira'', "the fake pound") is a Greek comedy-drama film, produced in 1955, written and directed by Giorgos Tzavellas and starring Dimitris Horn, Ilia Livykou and Vassilis Lo ...

'' and ''

The Ogre of Athens ''O Drákos'' (; English: ''The Ogre of Athens'' or ''The fiend of Athens''), or simply The Dragon, is a 1956 Greek existential and satirical drama crime film, directed by Nikos Koundouros. It tells the story of Thomas, a mousey and dull bank cl ...

'' are nowadays considered some of the greatest works of Greek cinema. Censorship policies of the 1967 junta and rising foreign competition led to a decline in Greek cinema. After the restoration of democracy in the mid-1970s, the Greek film industry again flourished, led by director

Theo Angelopoulos Theodoros "Theo" Angelopoulos (; (27 April 1935 – 24 January 2012) was a Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer. He dominated the Greek art film industry from 1975 on, and Angelopoulos was one of the most influential and widely respect ...

, whose films captured international recognition, making him probably the most acclaimed Greek director to date. Other acclaimed directors of this era include

Nikos Nikolaidis Nikos Georgiou Nikolaidis (; 25 October 1939 – 5 September 2007) was a Greek film director, screenwriter, film producer, writer, theatre director, assistant director, record producer, television director, and commercial director. He is usually ...

, as well as

Pantelis Voulgaris Pantelis Voulgaris (; born 23 October 1940) is a Greek film director and screenwriter. His first feature film ''To proxenio tis Annas'' in 1972 won the first prize in Thessaloniki International Film Festival. His 1989 film ''The Striker with Num ...

and

Alexis Damianos Alexis Damianos (; 1921–2006) was a Greek, film/theatre and television director. Biography Damianos was born in Athens on January 21, 1921. He studied at the National Theatre of Greece and the philosophy department of the University of Athens ...

, the director of the landmark film '' Evdokia''. However, this drift toward art-house cinema in the 1980s led to a decline in audiences. In the 1990s, younger Greek filmmakers began experimenting with iconographic motifs. In spite of, or because of, funding issues created by the

financial crisis A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with Bank run#Systemic banki ...

in the late 2000s, unique Greek films such as

Yorgos Lanthimos Yorgos Lanthimos (; ; born 23 September 1973) is a Greek filmmaker. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Lion, as well as nominations for five Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Lanthimos started hi ...

's '' Dogtooth'' (2009),

Panos H. Koutras Panos H. Koutras () is a Greek film director, film producer and screenwriter, who made his debut with the feature film ''The Attack of the Giant Moussaka'' (1999), an independent science-fiction parody who gained international recognition in Fra ...

' '' Strella'' (2009) and

Athina Rachel Tsangari Athina Rachel Tsangari (, ) (born April 2, 1966) is a Greek filmmaker whose movies are some of her most notable works include her feature films, '' The Slow Business of Going'' (2000), '' Attenberg'' (2010) and ''Chevalier'' (2015) as well as th ...

's '' Attenberg'' (2010) received international acclaim, constituting what has been called the " Greek Weird Wave".

History of the Greek cinema

Origins

In the spring of 1897, the Greeks of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

watched the first cinematic ventures (short movies in "journal"). In 1906 Greek cinema was born when the

Manakis brothers The Manaki brothers (), Yanaki and Milton ( and ), were two Aromanian photography and cinema pioneers within the Balkan Peninsula and the Ottoman Empire. They were the first to bring a film camera and create a motion picture in the city of M ...

started recording in

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

, and the French filmmaker "Leons" produced the first "Newscast" from the midi-

Olympic games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

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 (Spyridion), who also starred in most of his movies. In 1911

Kostas Bachatoris Kostas or Costas () is a Greek given name and surname. As a given name, it can be a hypocorism for Konstantinos ( Constantine). Given name * Costas Andreou, Greek musician * Kostas Antetokounmpo (born 1997), Greek basketball player * Costas Azar ...

presented '' Golfo ()'', a well known traditional love story, considered the first Greek

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

. In 1912 was founded the first film company (

Athina Film Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

) and in 1916 the

Asty Film Asty (; ) was the physical space of a city or town in Ancient Greece, especially as opposed to the political concept of a ''polis'', which encompassed the entire territory and citizen body of a city-state. In Classical Athens, the ''asty'' was ...

. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, 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, of the efforts of the Hellenic Army and finally the

Great Fire of Smyrna The burning of Smyrna (, "Smyrna Catastrophe"; , "1922 İzmir Fire"; , ''Zmyuṙnio Mets Hrdeh'') destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna (modern İzmir, Turkey) in September 1922. Eyewitness reports state that the fire began on 13 September 1 ...

(1922).

The first commercially successful Greek film was ''Villar in the Women's Baths of Faliro'' ('), written, directed by and starring comedian Villar (Nikolaos Sfakianakis) and Nitsa Philosofou. In 1924, Michael Michael (1895–1944), a Greek comedian, presented some

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

comedies.

In 1922, Gaziadis founded Dag Films and tried to produce the first speaking movies. This company presented its first movie, ''Love and Waves'' ('), in 1927, and experienced moderate success in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The company mainly produced historical movies, usually adaptations of novels. In 1930, Dag made an attempt for a speaking movie, '' The Apaches of Athens'' ('), which was based on a Greek

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

by Nikos Hatziapostolou. Gaziadis also filmed the 1927 Delphic Festival, an idea of

Angelos Sikelianos Angelos Sikelianos ( ; 28 March 1884 – 19 June 1951) was a Greek lyric poet and playwright. His themes include Greek history, religious symbolism as well as universal harmony in poems such as ''The Moonstruck'', ''Prologue to Life'', ''Mother o ...

and Eva Palmer-Sikelianos, as part of his general effort towards the revival of the "Delphic Idea". The event consisted of

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

contests, an exhibition of

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative art, decorative. The makers of folk art a ...

, and a performance of ''

Prometheus Bound ''Prometheus Bound'' () is an ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ante quem of 424 BC. The tragedy is based on the myth of Prometheus, ...

''. The 1931 film ''

'' (''Δάφνις και Χλόη''), directed by

(1908–1992), contained the first voyeuristic 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 speaking movie ''The Shepherdess's Lover'' (''Ο αγαπητικός της βοσκοπούλας''), which was based on a play by Dimitris Koromilas. Also influential during this period was director Achilleas Madras, whose work included ''Maria Pentagiotissa'' (1929) and ''Sorcerer of Athens'' (1931). During the late 1930s, a number of Greek filmmakers fled Greece due to the hostility of

Metaxas Regime Metaxās or Metaxa may refer to: Places * Metaxas Line, fortifications in northeastern Greece in 1935–1940 * Metaxas, Greece, a village in the Greek region of Macedonia * Metaxas Regime or 4th of August Regime, a short-lived authoritarian reg ...

and the material lack of ability for producing speaking movies. The Greek film industry reemerged in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, and later in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. In spite of German occupation during World War II,

Philopemen Finos Philopemen Finos (; 1 September 1908– January 26, 1977) was a Greek film producer of 186 films and the founder of Finos Film, whose first film was in 1939. He built the first sound recording device in Greece, and shot the first colour film w ...

, a film producer who was active in the Greek Resistance, founded

Finos Films Finos Film (Greek: Φίνος Φιλμ) is a Greek film production and distribution company that dominated the Greek film industry from 1943 to 1977. It was founded by Filopimin Finos in 1942 during World War II. It was the biggest film productio ...

(1942), which would later become one of the most commercially successful Greek studios. One of Finos's earliest productions, ''Voice of the Heart'' (') (1943, directed by Dimitris Ioannopoulos), drew large audiences, to the consternation of the Germans. Another important film during this period, ''

Applause Applause (Latin '','' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together. Audiences usually applaud after a performance, such as a concert, speech or ...

'' (') (1944, directed by

George Tzavellas George Tzavellas, also rendered Giorgos Tzavellas, Yiorgos Tzavellas, or Yorgos Javellas (, 1916, Athens – October 18, 1976), was a Greek film director, screenwriter, and playwright. His filmmaking was particularly influential, with critic Geor ...

), which presented a thinly-disguised biography of one of Greece's most important popular songwriters of the era, Attik, was produced by Finos's rival, Novak Films. In 1944,

Katina Paxinou Katina Paxinou (; 17 December 1900– 22 February 1973) was a Greek film and stage actress. She started her stage career in Greece in 1928 and was one of the founding members of the National Theatre of Greece in 1932. The outbreak of World War ...

was honoured with the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

for her role as "Pilar" in the

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...

film, ''

For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned ...

''.

The Golden Age (modern period)

The 1950s and 1960s are considered by many to be the "Golden Age" of Greek cinema. Directors and actors of this era were recognized as important historical figures in Greece and some gained international acclaim:

Alekos Sakellarios Alekos Sakellarios (; 13 November 1913 in Athens – 28 August 1991 in Athens) was a Greece, Greek writer and a director. He was born in Athens and grew up in Agios Panteleimonas, Athens, Agios Panteleimonas and began to study journalism a ...

Nikos Tsiforos Nikos Tsiforos (; 27 August 1912 – 6 August 1970) was a Greek humorist, screenwriter, and film director. He had more than 60 film scripts to his credit between 1948 and 1970. He further directed 17 films between 1948 and 1961. Biography ...

Iakovos Kambanelis Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Biography Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth o ...

Nikos Koundouros Nikos Koundouros ( ; 15 December 1926 – 22 February 2017) was a Greek film director. Biography Koundouros was born in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, in 1926. He studied painting and sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts. During the war he was a ...

Ellie Lambeti Ellie Loukou (; 13 April 1926 – 3 September 1983), known professionally as Ellie Lambeti (), was a Greek actress. Family Lambeti was born in 1926 in the village of Vilia, Attiki, to Kostas Loukos and Anastasia Stamati. She had six sibli ...

, and

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through ...

. More than sixty films per year were made, with the majority having film noir elements. Notable films were ''

'' (', 1955 directed by

), ''

Bitter Bread ''Bitter Bread'' (Greek: ''Pikro psomi'') is a 1951 Greek drama film directed by Grigoris Grigoriou and starring Eleni Zafeiriou, Inta Hristinaki and Michalis Nikolopoulos.Karalis p.58 Cast * Eleni Zafeiriou as Mrs. Lyberi * Inta Hristinaki as L ...

'' (', 1951, directed by Grigoris Grigoriou), and ''

'' (', 1956, directed by

Finos Film Finos Film (Greek: Φίνος Φιλμ) is a Greek film production and distribution company that dominated the Greek film industry from 1943 to 1977. It was founded by Filopimin Finos in 1942 during World War II World War II or the ...

and director

collaborated on several films in the late 1950s, namely ''The Hurdy-Gurdy'' (', 1955) and its sequel, ''Laterna, ftoheia kai garyfallo'' (', 1958), as well as '' Aunt from Chicago'' (', 1957) and ''

Maiden's Cheek Maiden's Cheek () is a 1959 Greek comedy film directed by Alekos Sakellarios, literally translated as "The beating came from paradise". Cast * Aliki Vougiouklaki - ''Liza Papastavrou'' * Dimitris Papamichael - ''Panos Floras'' * Christos Tsag ...

'' (', 1959). The 1955 film ''

'', directed by

and written by

, was screened at Cannes, and launched Greek cinema into its "golden age."

, who starred in the film, met American expatriate director

Jules Dassin Julius "Jules" Dassin ( ; December 18, 1911 – March 31, 2008) was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, where he continued hi ...

at Cannes while attending the screening, and the two would eventually marry. Dassin directed the 1960 Greek film, ''

'', which starred Mercouri. The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Mercouri, and won the

Academy Award for Best Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

for composer

Manos Hatzidakis Manos Hatzidakis (also spelled Hadjidakis; ; 23 October 1925 – 15 June 1994) was a Greek composer and theorist of Greek music, widely regarded as one of the greatest Greek composers of all time. He was one of the main proponents of the " Ént ...

' title track. The couple also collaborated on the 1967 musical stage adaptation, ''

Illya Darling ''Illya Darling'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book by Jules Dassin, music by Manos Hadjidakis, and lyrics by Joe Darion, based on Dassin's 1960 film ''Never on Sunday''. Production The show previewed in a tour of Philadelphia, Toronto an ...

'', for which Mercouri received a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination. She went on to star in such films as '' Topkapi'' and ''

Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * Phaedra (Cabanel), ''Phaedra'' (Cabanel), an 1880 painting by Alexandre Cabanel *House of Phaedra ...

'', both directed by Dassin, and the 1969 American comedy, ''

Gaily, Gaily ''Gaily, Gaily'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Chicago, Chicago'') is a 1969 American comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It is a fictionalized adaptation of a 1963 memoir of the same name by Ben Hecht and stars Beau Bridges, Brian ...

''. Cacoyannis' 1964 film, ''

'', which starred

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

, was a major commercial success, and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film. The movie was based on the novel, ''

'', by author

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis (; ; 2 March (Old Style and New Style dates, OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greeks, Greek writer, journalist, politician, poet and philosopher. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominate ...

. Other important films during this period include ''

Antigone ANTIGONE (Algorithms for coNTinuous / Integer Global Optimization of Nonlinear Equations), is a deterministic global optimization solver for general Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programs (MINLP). History ANTIGONE is an evolution of GloMIQO, a global ...

'' (1961) and ''

Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...

'' (1962), both of which starred

, ''

The Red Lanterns ''The Red Lanterns'' (, translit. Ta Kokkina fanaria) is a 1963 Greek drama film directed by Vasilis Georgiadis and based on a play by Alekos Galanos. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also entere ...

'' (1963) by director

Vasilis Georgiadis Vasilis Georgiadis (; 12 August 1921 – 30 April 2000) was a Greek people, Greek film director and actor. His films ''The Red Lanterns'' (1963) and ''Blood on the Land'' (1966) were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language F ...

, and '' Battlefield Constantinople'' (1970), which starred the "Greek Brigitte Bardot,"

Aliki Vougiouklaki Aliki Stamatina Vougiouklaki (Greek: Αλίκη Σταματίνα Βουγιουκλάκη Greek pronunciation: ˈlici stamaˈtina vuʝuˈklaci 20 July 1934 – 23 July 1996) was a Greek cinema and theater actress, singer and theatrical produc ...

. The

Thessaloniki International Film Festival The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is a film festival held every November in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is organized by the Thessaloniki Film Festival under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture. It features internationa ...

was first held in 1960, and would subsequently evolve into the primary showcase for emerging filmmakers from Greece and the Balkans region. The festival showcases both international and Greek films, and awards the "Golden Alexander" for the best feature film. In 1969, the

Costa-Gavras Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...

film '' Z'' was nominated for the Academy Award for both Best Foreign Language Film and Best Picture.

Postmodern period

Theodoros Angelopoulos Athens 26-4-2009-2

The production of Greek films increased after the fall of the dictatorship in the mid-1970s, though the industry struggled with foreign competition and the rise of television. Michael Cacoyannis' 1977 film, ''

Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by hunting and killing one of Artem ...

'', was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. During the 1970s and 1980s

directed a series of critically acclaimed movies, among them ''

The Travelling Players ''The Travelling Players'' (, translit. ''O Thiasos'', "The Troupe") is a 1975 Greek historical drama film written and directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos that traces the history of mid-20th-century Greece from 1939 to 1952. Many critics ha ...

'' (1975), '' The Hunters'' (1977), and ''

Voyage to Cythera ''Voyage to Cythera'' (, Transliteration, translit. ''Taxidi sta Kythira'') is a 1984 Greek film directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos. It was entered into the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI, FIPRESCI Prize and the award ...

'' (1984). His film ''

'' won the

and the

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury () is an independent film award for feature-length films shown at major international film festivals since 1973. The award was created by Christian film makers, film critics and other film professionals. The objec ...

at the

1998 Cannes Film Festival The 51st Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 1998. American filmmaker Martin Scorsese served as jury president for the main competition. Isabelle Huppert was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. Greek filmmaker Theo A ...

. Costa-Gavras's film ''

'' won the Palme d'Or at

1982 Cannes Film Festival The 35th Cannes Film Festival took place from 14 to 26 May 1982. Italian opera and theatre director Giorgio Strehler served as jury president for the main competition. The Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, was jointly awarded to '' Missing' ...

. Director

Costas Ferris Costas Ferris (; born 18 April 1935) is a Greek film director, writer, actor, and producer. He wrote the lyrics of Aphrodite's Child's album ''666''. His 1983 film '' Rembetiko'' won the Silver Bear at the 34th Berlin International Film Festiv ...

's 1983 film, ''

Rembetiko Rebetiko (, ), plural rebetika ( ), occasionally transliterated as rembetiko or rebetico, is a term used to designate previously disparate kinds of urban Greek music which in the 1930s went through a process of musical syncretism and develope ...

'', won the

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

. When the left-leaning

Panhellenic Socialist Movement The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (, ), known mostly by its acronym PASOK (; , ), is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2012 it was one of the two major parties in the country, along with New Democracy, its main political r ...

was elected to power in 1981, actress Melina Mercouri, a member of the party, was appointed

Minister for Culture A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organizat ...

. In this role, she obtained government support for the Greek film industry, and set up networks to promote Greek cinema abroad. The increase in government funding led to a predominance of slow-moving, cerebral

art-house An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

films, which lacked mass appeal. Beginning in the 1990s, younger directors turned to more contemporary-paced films and social satires, which brought moderate commercial success. In 1999, TV series writers

Michalis Reppas Michalis is a Greek masculine given name. People with the name * Michalis Agrimakis (born 1992), Greek footballer * Michalis Alexandropoulos (born 1972), retired Greek male indoor volleyball and beach volleyball player * Michalis Arkadis, Greek ...

and

Thanasis Papathanasiou Thanasis (Θανάσης) is a Greek given name, short for Athanasios (Αθανάσιος), which can mean "eternal life" or "immortal". Notable people with the name Thanasis or Thanassis include: *Thanasis Antetokounmpo (born 1992), Greek baske ...

, collaborating with contemporary famous actors made the sex taboo comedy ''

Safe Sex Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices (such as condoms) to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer ...

'', which was the most successful movie of the decade. In 2003, ''

A Touch of Spice ''A Touch of Spice'' (Greek: ''Πολίτικη Κουζίνα/Politiki Kouzina)'' is a 2003 Greek film directed by Tassos Boulmetis and starring Georges Corraface as the character of the adult Fanis Iakovides. The character of Fanis Iakovides ...

'' (''Politiki kouzina''), a big-budget film by director

Tasos Boulmetis Tassos is a Greek language, Greek male given name, which is a variant of Anastasius (disambiguation), Anastasios and means "Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection".''Greek Names''"Tassos" Retrieved on 30 January 2016. The name may refer to: *Tassos D ...

, was the most successful film of the year at the Greek

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...

, making over 12 million euros. 2004 was also a good year for Greek films, with

's ''

Brides A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is a newlywed. When marrying, if the bride's future spouse is a man, he is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, ...

'' (''Nyfes'') gathering more than a million spectators and over 7 million at the box office. In 2007 the most successful film was ''

El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...

'', directed by

Yannis Smaragdis Yannis Smaragdis () is a Greek film director. In October 2024, he was the first Greek director elected as a regular member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Biography He was born in Crete in 1946 and studied film in Greece and Paris, ...

. In 2009, '' Dogtooth'', directed by

, won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival, and in 2011 was nominated for

Best Foreign Language Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

at the

83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, be ...

. The 2010 film '' Attenberg'', directed by

, won the Coppa Volpi Award for Best Actress (

Ariane Labed Ariane Labed (born 8 May 1984) is a French actress and film director. She is known for her feature film debut in '' Attenberg'', for which she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, and appearing in Helen Edmundson's film ''Mary Magdalene'' in 20 ...

) at the Venice Film Festival. Also, at the same festival that year, ''

Homeland A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...

'', directed by

Syllas Tzoumerkas Syllas Tzoumerkas () is a Greek film director, screenwriter, and actor. Life and early work Syllas Tzoumerkas was born in Thessaloniki. He studied theatre and directing for Film and Television at the L.Stavrakos Film School and the University ...

screened at the International Critics' Week, ''Plato's Academy'' by Filippos Tsitos screened at a special event in

Venice Days The Giornate degli Autori (; 'Authors' Days') or simply the Giornate, formerly also known in English as Venice Days, is an independent section of Venice Film Festival. Anac and 100autori are engaged to support and promote the Giornate. It was fou ...

, and ''Casus Belli'', a short film by director Yorgos Zois, screened at the

Orizzonti ''Orizzonti'' ( 'Horizons') is a section of the Venice Film Festival's official selection. It runs as a parallel section to the main competition for the Golden Lion The Golden Lion () is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Fe ...

section, prompting Nick Vivarelli of

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

to write about "the country's biggest showing in decades". In 2011 ''

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

'' won the Osella Award for Best Screenplay (

and Efthimiοs Filippou) at the 68th Venice Film Festival. ''Dogtooth'', ''Attenberg'' and ''Alps'' are part of what some film critics, including Steve Rose of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', have termed the "Greek Weird Wave," which involves movies with haunting cinematography, alienated protagonists and absurdist dialogue. Other films mentioned as part of this "wave" include

's '' Strella'' (2009) and Yannis Economides's ''

Knifer ''Knifer'' ( ''Macherovgaltis'') is a 2010 Greek-Cypriot drama film directed by Yannis Economides. After his father's death, Nikos moves from Ptolemaida to Athens. His uncle offers him food and shelter while he starts taking care of his dogs. Al ...

'' (2010). In 2011, the 46th

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (, KVIFF) is an annual film festival held in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern Eur ...

presented a tribute to Young Greek Cinema with seven feature films: '' Attenberg,'' '' Dogtooth,'' ''Homeland'', '' Strella'', ''Tale 52'' (directed by Alexis Alexiou) and ''Wasted Youth'' (directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos and Jan Vogel). The "wave" of Greek cinema continued its course through the decade, producing several titles that were festival and critical sensations and were distributed in many countries. Many tributes to this generation of Greek filmmakers were held by festivals worldwide, most notably by the New Horizons Film Festival in Wrocław, Poland, and the Jeonju International Film Festival in Korea. Recent studies called the Greek Weird Wave, a cinema "that reflects on how systems of power manage groups of people (from a family to a population) and the bodies of individuals", and "a cinema equally sensitive to forms of response, to noise, unease, and subversion". In 2011, just twenty feature-films were produced. '' Wasted Youth'', directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos and Jan Vogel was the opening film of the 40th

Rotterdam International Film Festival International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on independent and experimental films. The inaugural festival took place in June 1972, ...

, ''

,'' directed by

won the Best Screenplay Award at the Venice International Film Festival and ''

Unfair World ''Unfair World'' (, translit. Adikos kosmos) is a 2011 Greek drama film directed by Filippos Tsitos. Tsitos won the award for Best Director and Antonis Kafetzopoulos won the award for Best Actor at the San Sebastián International Film ...

,'' directed by Filippos Tsitos won the Best Actor Award for Antonis Kafetzopoulos at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2012, '' L'' by Babis Makridis premiered in competition at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, and ''

Boy Eating the Bird's Food ''Boy Eating the Bird's Food'' () is a 2012 Greek Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Ektoras Lygizos (in his feature directorial debut), loosely based on the 1890 novel ''Hunger (Hamsun novel), Hunger'' by Knut Hamsu ...

'', directed by Ektoras Lygizos, premiered in competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, winning a Special Mention for actor Yannis Papadopoulos. In 2013, ''

Miss Violence ''Miss Violence'' is a 2013 Greek psychological thriller film directed and written by Alexandros Avranas. The plot revolves around a family whose young granddaughter mysteriously committed suicide. The film was nominated upon its release for 8 Hel ...

'', directed by

Alexandros Avranas Alexandros Avranas (born 1977) is a Greek film director best known for such films as '' Miss Violence'' and '' Dark Crimes'' starring Jim Carrey. At the 2013 Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festiv ...

won

Silver Lion The Silver Lion (, also known as Silver Lion for Best Direction) is an annual award presented for best directing achievements in a feature film in the official competition section of the Venice Film Festival since 1998. The prize has been awar ...

for best director at the

70th Venice International Film Festival The 70th annual Venice International Film Festival, was held from 28 August to 7 September 2013, at Venice Lido in Italy. Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci was the jury president for the main competition. He was previously the presiden ...

Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...

of ''

'', compared the film to the previously mentioned, saying that "It (self-evidently) does not have the humour of those movies by

and

and by that token, less of their richness and inventiveness. But its force can't be doubted." In 2014, ''Stratos'', directed by Yannis Economidis premiered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, ''Xenia'', directed by

, premiered at the Un Certain Régard section of the Cannes Film Festival, and '' A Blast,'' directed by

, premiered in competition at the Locarno International Film Festival. In 2015, ''Wednesday 04:45'' by Alexis Alexiou premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival, ''Chevalier'', directed by

premiered in competition at the Locarno International Film Festival and won the Best Film Award at the BFI - London International Film Festival, and ''Interruption'' by Yorgos Zois premiered at the Orizzonti competition section of the Venice International Film Festival. In 2016, ''Suntan'' by Argyris Papadimitropoulos premiered at the Rotterdam and SXSW International Film Festivals and won the Best Film Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. In 2017, ''Son of Sofia'', directed by Elina Psykou won the Best International Narrative Feature Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2018, ''Pity'', directed by Babis Makridis, premiered in competition at the Sundance and the Rotterdam International Film Festivals. in 2021, Jacqueline Lentzou's ''

Moon, 66 Questions ''Moon, 66 Questions'' () is a French-Greek drama film, directed by Jacqueline Lentzou and released in 2021. The film stars Sofia Kokkali as Artemis, a young woman who is forced to care for her estranged father Paris (Lazaros Georgakopoulos) after ...

'' premiered at the Encounters competition section of the

71st Berlin International Film Festival The 71st annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 1 to 5 March 2021 as a virtual festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Scott Roxborough"Berlin Film Festival Unveils Panorama, Encounters Titles" ''The Hollywood Reporter'', 10 Feb ...

Notable films

Pre-WWII * 1914 '' Golfo'',

Konstantinos Bachatoris Konstantinos or Constantinos (Κωνσταντίνος, ''Konstantínos'') is a Greek male given name. * Konstantinos (born 1972), occultist * Konstantinos "Kosta" Barbarouses (born 1990), New Zealand footballer * Konstantinos Chalkias (born ...

(the first Greek feature film) * 1927 ''Eros kai kymata'', Dimitris Gaziadis * 1930 ''Oi Apachides ton Athinon'', Dimitris Gaziadis * 1931 ''

'',

* 1932 ''Shepherdess's Lover'', Dimitris Tsakiris (first speaking) * 1939 '' The Parting Song'' by

Filopimin Finos Philopemen Finos (; 1 September 1908– January 26, 1977) was a Greek film producer of 186 films and the founder of Finos Film, whose first film was in 1939. He built the first sound recording device in Greece, and shot the first colour film w ...

* 1944 '' Chirokrotimata'',

After-WWII (Golden Age) * 1948 ''The Germans are Coming Again'',

, starring

Vassilis Logothetidis Vasilis Logothetidis (Greek: Βασίλης Λογοθετίδης; 1897 – 22 February 1960) was a Greek comedian. He is considered one of the most significant modern Greek actors. Logothetidis was born as Vasilis Tavlaridis (Βασίλης ...

* 1950 ''

The Drunkard ''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844.

'',

, starring

Orestis Makris Orestis Makris (; 30 September 1898 – 29 January 1975) was a Greek actor and tenor. Biography Makris graduated from the Athens Conservatoire and first entered the scene as a tenor in the troupe of Rosalia Nika in 1925. He later joined the Pa ...

* 1951 '' Pikro Psomi'',

Grigoris Grigoriou Grigoris Grigoriou (1919–2005) was a Greek screenwriter and film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew a ...

* 1954 ''

Despoinis eton 39 ''Despinis eton 39'' or ''Despinis eton 39'' ( ''A 39-year-old Lady'') is a 1954 Greek drama-comedy film directed by Alekos Sakellarios and starring Vassilis Logothetidis, Smaro Stefanidou and Ilya Livykou. Plot It starts for a classical theme ...

'',

* 1954 '' Kiriakatiko Xipnima'', Cacoyannis * 1955 ''

'',

, starring

* 1955 ''

'',

* 1956 '' Thanassakis o politevomenos'',

* 1956 ''

Aces of the Stadiums An ace is a playing card. Ace(s), ACE(S) and variants may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Awards * ACE Awards (Award for Cable Excellence) Comics * ''Ace Comics'', a 1937-1959 comic book series * Ace Magazines (comics), a 1940- ...

'',

* 1956 ''

O Drakos ''O Drákos'' (; English: ''The Ogre of Athens'' or ''The fiend of Athens''), or simply The Dragon, is a 1956 Greek existential and satirical drama crime film, directed by Nikos Koundouros. It tells the story of Thomas, a mousey and dull bank cle ...

'',

, starring

Dinos Iliopoulos Dinos Iliopoulos (Greek: '; 12 June 1913 – 4 June 2001) was a Greek actor. He was one of the most prevalent film/theater actors in Greece. Biography He was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1913. A few years later his family moved to Marseille ...

* 1956 ''

A Girl in Black ''A Girl in Black'' () is a 1956 Greek dramatic film by the Cypriot director Michael Cacoyannis starring Dimitris Horn and Ellie Lambeti. The film takes place on the Greek island of Hydra, where two Athenian visitors become entangled in local feu ...

'',

, starring

* 1956 '' The Girl from Corfu'', Yiannis Petropoulakis, starring

Rena Vlachopoulou Irene "Rena" Vlahopoulou (Greek: Ειρήνη (Ρένα) Βλαχοπούλου; 28 July 1923 – 29 July 2004) was a Greek actress and singer. She starred in theatre, musical and Greek cinema productions, including ''The Gambler'' and ''The C ...

(the first colour film) * 1957 ''

I theia ap' to Chicago ''The Auntie from Chicago'' ( ''Ê theía apó to Sikágo''; also known as ''Aunt from Chicago'') is a 1957 Greece, Greek theatrical comedy film directed by Alekos Sakellarios and produced by Finos Films. The film made 142,459 tickets. Plot A m ...

'',

, starring Georgia Vasileiadou * 1958 '' A Hero in His Slippers'',

, starring

* 1959 '' Astero'',

Dinos Dimopoulos Dinos Dimopoulos (; 22 August 1921 – 28 February 2003) was a Greek actor, film director, screenwriter and theatre director. He directed more than 40 films between 1953 and 1993. His 1959 film '' Astero'' was entered into the 9th Berlin I ...

* 1959 ''

Stournara 288 ''Stournara 288'' (Στουρνάρα 288) (filmed in 1959) was a drama by Dinos Dimopoulos with Orestis Makris, Smaroula Giouli, Sofia Vembo, Dionysis Papagiannopoulos, Dinos Iliopoulos. It was bitter and nostalgic eyes on its alienation on ...

'',

* 1959 '' Elias of the 16th'',

, starring Costas Hajihristos * 1960 ''

Madalena Madalena is a feminine given name. It is a Portuguese form of Magdalene. It may refer to: Films * ''Madalena'' (1960 film), a Greek film * ''Madalena'' (2021 film), a Brazilian film People *Madalena Alberto, Portuguese actress, singer and c ...

'',

, starring

* 1960 ''

'',

* 1960 ''

Egklima sta paraskinia ''Murder Backstage'' () is a 1960 Greek theatrical film noir film starring Alekos Alexandrakis, Maro Kontou, Hristos Tsaganeas, Titos Vandias, Aliki Georgouli, Georges Sarri and Dimos Starenios. The writer was from the famous police novelis ...

'',

Dinos Katsouridis Dinos Katsouridis (1927 - 28 November 2011) was a Greek Cypriot film director, cinematographer and editor. He had worked in a lot of Greek film sometimes as director, sometimes as film editor and sometimes as cinematographer as well as writer. He ...

* 1961 ''

'',

* 1961 ''

Alice in the Navy ''Alice in the Navy'' () is a 1961 Greek comedy film directed by Alekos Sakellarios. Cast * Aliki Vougiouklaki - Alice * Dimitris Papamichael - Kostas Degleris * Giannis Gionakis - cadet * Giannis Malouhos - Alkis Vranas * Kaiti Lambropoulou - ...

'',

* 1961 ''

Woe to the Young ''Woe to the Young'' (Greek: ''Αλίμονο στους νέους'') is a Greek 1961 film loosely based on the myth of Faust. Plot The story concerns a rich old man named Andreas, who wants to be young again so as to marry a young girl, that ma ...

'',

, starring

Dimitris Horn Dimitris Horn () (9 March 1921 – 16 January 1998) was a Greek theatrical and film actor. Biography Horn was born in Athens in 1921, the son of playwright Pantelis Horn (himself descended from an Austrian father and Greek mother), and Euterpi, ...

* 1962 '' Nomos 4000'',

Giannis Dalianidis Giannis Dalianidis (; 31 December 1923 – 16 October 2010) was a Greek film director. His first film was ''Mousitsa'', released in 1959, which was followed by a series of musicals. Between 1974 and 1981, he produced the television series ''Luna ...

* 1962 ''

'',

* 1962 ''

Glory Sky ''Glory Sky'' () is a 1962 Greek war film directed by Takis Kanellopoulos. It was entered into the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Aimilia Pitta - Sofia * Phaedon Georgitsis - Stratos * Takis Emmanuel - Giagos * Eleni Zafeiriou * Niki Triantaf ...

'',

Takis Kanellopoulos Takis Kanellopoulos (; 26 October 1933 – 21 September 1990) was a Greek film director and screenwriter. He directed ten films between 1960 and 1980. Filmography * '' Sonia'' (1980) * '' Romantiko simeioma'' (1978) * '' To hroniko mias Ky ...

* 1963 ''

Young Aphrodites ''Young Aphrodites'' (, translit. Mikres Afrodites) is a drama film of 1963 directed by Nikos Koundouros based on a script of Vassilis Vassilikos. Plot In 200 BC, a nomadic group of shepherds, in search of new pastures, leaves the mountains ...

'',

* 1963 ''

'',

* 1964 ''

'',

, starring

* 1965 ''

And the Wife Shall Revere Her Husband ''And the Wife Shall Revere Her Husband'' () is a 1965 Greek comedy film. The film won the best director award in 1st Chicago International Film Festival. Plot Antonis and Eleni are an unmarried couple, which live in a traditional neighbourhood ...

'',

* 1966 ''

Blood on the Land ''Blood on the Land'' () is a 1966 Greek western drama film directed by Vasilis Georgiadis, with a screenplay by Nikos Foskolos. Starring Nikos Kourkoulos, Manos Katrakis, and Mary Chronopoulou, the film depicts the struggle of unfree peasants ...

'',

* 1967 ''

Oi kyries tis avlis ''Oi kyries tis avlis'' (/ English: Ladies of the Courtyard) is a 1966 Greek film based on the theatrical play ''To ekto patoma'' (''Το έκτο πάτωμα'' = ''The Next Step''). It was made into a movie following the success of the play with ...

'',

* 1968 ''

Girls in the Sun ''Girls in the Sun'' (, translit. ''Koritsia ston Ilio'') is a 1968 Greek drama film directed by Vasilis Georgiadis. The film was selected as the Greek entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 42nd Academy Awards, but was not accep ...

'',

* 1970 ''

Ipolochagos Natassa ''Ipolochagos Natassa'' (Greek: ''Υπολοχαγός Νατάσσα'', ''Lieutenant Natasha'', also known outside Greece as ''Battlefield Constantinople'') is a 1970 Greek film. It starred Aliki Vougiouklaki as Natassa, Dimitris Papamichael as O ...

'',

Nikos Foskolos Nikos Foskolos (; 26 November 1927 – 30 October 2013) was a Greek screenwriter and director. He is one of the most commercially successful screenwriters of Greek cinema. He has been called the "Goldfinger of commercial shows". He has been desc ...

(tickets record) * 1971 ''

What did you do in the war, Thanasi? ''What did you do in the war, Thanasis?'' () is a 1971 Greek satirical drama film. It starred Thanasis Veggos as Thanasis, a poor labourer trying to survive during the Axis occupation of Greece. With references to the Great Famine (Greece) and th ...

'',

, starring

Thanasis Veggos Thanasis Veggos (alternatively spelt Thanassis and/or Vengos; Greek: Θανάσης Βέγγος, ''Thanássis Véngos''; 29 May 19273 May 2011) was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. He performed in around 130 films, predomi ...

* 1971 '' Evdokia'',

* 1971 ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...

'',

* 1972 ''

The Countess of Corfu ''The Countess of Corfu'' () is a 1972 film starring Rena Vlahopoulou, Alekos Alexandrakis and Nonika Galinea. The movie was filmed in Corfu, the birthplace of Rena Vlahopoulou. Plot Rena Vlahopoulou plays signora Antzolina, an old-time Corfio ...

'', starring

* 1972 ''

Days of '36 ''Days of '36'' () is a 1972 cinema of Greece, Greek dramatic independent film, independent underground film, underground art film directed by Theo Angelopoulos. Its title is a tribute to Constantine P. Cavafy. Filmed during the Greek military j ...

'',

* 1975 ''

'',

* 1977 ''

'',

* 1977 ''To vary... peponi'',

Pavlos Tassios Pavlos Tassios (; 1 April 1942 – 2 October 2011) was a Greek film director. Born in Polygyros, Greece, he directed such films as ''Nai men, alla...'' (1972), ''Oi prostates'' (1973), ''To vary... peponi'' (1977), ''Parangelia!'' (1980), ''S ...

Modern * 1980 ''Parangelia!'',

* 1981 ''

Learn How to Read and Write, Son ''Learn How to Read and Write, Son'' () is a 1981 Greece, Greek drama/comedy film directed by Thodoros Maragos and starring Vasilis Diamantopoulos, Nikos Kalogeropoulos, Kostas Tsakonas and Anna Mantzourani. Plot The story is set in a mountain v ...

'',

Thodoros Maragos Thodoros Maragos or Marangos (; born 1944, Filiatra) is a Greek film director. His work spans film, TV and documentaries. He is best known for his film ''Learn How to Read and Write, Son'' (in Greek: Μάθε παιδί μου γράμματα), a ...

* 1983 ''

'',

* 1984 ''

Loafing and Camouflage In social psychology, social loafing is the phenomenon of a person exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when working alone. It is seen as one of the main reasons groups are sometimes less productive than the combin ...

'', Nikos Perakis * 1984 ''

'',

* 1985 '' Stone Years'',

* 1986 ''

The Beekeeper The Beekeeper may refer to: * Beekeeper, a person who raises honey bees * The Beekeeper (1986 film), ''The Beekeeper'' (1986 film), a Greek drama art film * The Beekeeper (2024 film), ''The Beekeeper'' (2024 film), an American action film * The Bee ...

'',

, starring

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (26 September 1924Come da lui stesso dichiarato a 1'10" dquesta intervista/ref> – 19 December 1996) was an Italian actor. He is generally regarded as one of Italy's most iconic male performers of the 20t ...

* 1987 '' Doxobus'',

Fotos Lambrinos Fotos are a German indie rock band from Hamburg/Cologne. History Fotos' first self-titled album was released through Labels (a Sublabel of EMI) on 29 September 2006. Fotos can be characterised as British-inspired indie rock in co ...

* 1988 ''

Landscape in the Mist ''Landscape In The Mist'' (, Transliteration, translit.''Topío Stín Omíchli'') is a 1988 Greek Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age Road movie, road tragedy film co-written and directed by Theo Angelopoulos. The film was selected as the Greek en ...

'',

* 1991 ''

The Suspended Step of the Stork ''The Suspended Step of the Stork'' (, translit. ''To Meteoro Vima Tou Pelargou'') is a 1991 Greek film directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos. It was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Marcello Mastroianni as Missing Politic ...

'',

, starring

* 1995 ''

Ulysses' Gaze ''Ulysses' Gaze'' (, translit. ''To Vlemma tou Odyssea'') is a 1995 internationally co-produced war drama film directed by Theo Angelopoulos, loosely based on Homer's epic poem ''Odyssey'', and starring Harvey Keitel, Maia Morgenstern and ...

'',

* 1998 ''

'',

* 1998 ''

'', Reppas-Papathanasiou * 1999 ''

Peppermint Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of Mentha, mint, a cross between Mentha aquatica, watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in m ...

'', Kostas Kapakas * 2003 ''

'', Tasos Boulmetis, starring

Georges Corraface Georges Corraface (, ''Giórgos Chorafás''; born December 7, 1952, in Paris, France) is a French actor of Greek descent. He performed in film and television, following many years in French theatre, notably as a member of the International Cente ...

* 2004 ''

'',

* 2007 ''

'',

* 2007 ''Tale 57,'' Alexis Alexiou *2009 '' Dogtooth'',

* 2009 '' Strella'',

* 2010 '' Attenberg'',

* 2010 ''

,''

*2011 ''

,'' Filippos Tsitos *2011 ''

'',

*2011 ''Wasted Youth,'' Argyris Papadimitropoulos and Jan Vogel *2012 '' L,'' Babis Makridis *2012 ''

,'' Ektoras Lygizos * 2013 '' Little England'',

* 2013 ''

'',

*2014 '' Stratos,'' Yannis Economidis *2014 ''

Xenia Xenia may refer to: People * Xenia (name), a feminine given name; includes a list of people with this name Places United States ''listed alphabetically by state'' * Xenia, Illinois, a village in Clay County ** Xenia Township, Clay County, Il ...

,''

*2014 '' A Blast,''

*2015 '' Ouzeri Tsitsanis'',

Manousos Manousakis Manousos Manousakis (; 14 January 1950 – 20 November 2024) was a Greek director, producer and writer. His paternal family is from Avdou Heraklion, Crete. He studied at the London Film School. He was married to Maria, and together they had two ...

* 2015 ''

Chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

'',

*2015 ''Interruption,'' Yorgos Zois *2015 '' Wednesday 04:45,'' Alexis Alexiou *2016 '' Suntan,'' Argyris Papadimitropoulos *2017 ''Son of Sofia,'' Elina Psykou *2018 ''

Pity Pity is a sympathetic sorrow evoked by the suffering of others. The word is comparable to ''compassion'', '' condolence'', or ''empathy''. It derives from the Latin (etymon also of ''piety''). Self-pity is pity directed towards oneself. Two d ...

,'' Babis Makridis *2019 ''Eftychia,'' Angelos Frantzis *2019 ''

The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea ''The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea'' (), is a 2019 thriller/drama Greek film with horror and surrealist elements, directed by Syllas Tzoumerkas. It tells the story of two womena police woman and an eel hatchery workerwhose solitary lives cross w ...

,'' Syllas Tzoumerkas *2021 ''

,'' Jacqueline Lentzou *2021 ''Monday,'' Argyris Papadimitropoulos

Notable musicals

* 1963 ''

Merikoi to protimoun kryo ''Merikoi to protimoun kryo'' (Greek: ) translations: Some Like it Cool is a 1963 Greek comedy film directed by Giannis Dalianidis. Lakis (Dinos Iliopoulos), Rena (Rena Vlachopoulou), Eva (Zoi Laskari) and Mary (Chloi Liaskou) are four siblings t ...

'' (Some Like it Cold),

* 1964 '' Something Is Burning'', Dalianidis * 1965 '' Kiss the Girls'',

* 1967 ''

Oi Thalassies oi Hadres ''Oi Thalassies oi Hadres'' (, ''The Blue Beads'') is a 1967 Greek musical film, directed by Giannis Dalianidis and starring Zoe Laskari, Kostas Voutsas, Martha Karagianni, Faidon Georgitsis, Giannis Vogiatzis and Mary Chronopoulou. At the time of ...

'',

* 1968 '' Gorgones kai Mages'', Dalianidis

Filming, distribution companies and studios

Past

* Athina Film * Asty Films * Dag Films * Astra Film * Hero Films (Greek: Ἡρώ) * Olympia Films * Anzervos * Spentzos Films * Klak Film

Current

(operates its own studios), founded by the major figure of

* Karagiannis Karatzopoulos * Novak Films (operates own studios) * Madbox Entertainment (operates its own studios) * Village Films Hellas (Greek branch of Village Roadshow) * Haos Film, founded by

*Heretic (production company and sales agent) *Neda Films (production company) *Blonde (production company) *Homemade Films (production company) * Cinegram * Odeon Hellas * Make a Movie in Greece/Media Productions * Audiovisual (biggest distributor) * Karamanos Studios (biggest studios in Greece) * The new studios of

Nu Boyana Film Studios Nu Boyana Film Studios () are film studios situated in Sofia, Bulgaria. The film production complex was opened in 1962 and was state owned until 2005 when it was bought by one of the longest-running independent film companies in Hollywood, Nu Im ...

(

Nu Image Millennium Media (formerly Nu Image and Millennium Films) is an American independent film production and financing company that was founded by Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, Danny Dimbort and Danny Lerner in 1992, and is one of Hollywood's longest runn ...

) will open inside 2020 in the area of Thessaloniki

Producers

* Prodromos Meravidis

Renowned figures

Directors

Alexis Alexiou Alexandros "Alexis" Alexiou (; born 8 September 1963) is a Greek former footballer and manager. He played for Apollon Kalamarias, Olympiacos, and PAOK, as well as for the national side. He competed at the 1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA ...

George Pan Cosmatos George Pan Cosmatos (4 January 1941 – 19 April 2005) was a Greek-Italian film director and screenwriter. Following early success in his home country with drama films such as ''Massacre in Rome'' with Richard Burton (based on the real-life Arde ...

Costa Gavras Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...

Constantine Giannaris Constantine Giannaris, also Constantinos Giannaris (; born 1959), is a Greek film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding ...

* Kostas Karagiannis *

Tonia Marketaki Tonia Marketaki (; 28 July 1942 – 26 July 1994) was a Greek film director and screenwriter. She was born in Pireas and spent many of her childhood years in the Zografou district of Athens. Her maternal origins are from Kardamyla, in the ...

Kostas Manoussakis Kostas Manoussakis (; January 1929 – 26 August 2005) was a Greek film director and screenwriter. His 1964 film ''Treason'' was entered into the 1965 Cannes Film Festival and his 1966 film '' The Fear'' was entered into the 16th Berlin In ...

Nico Mastorakis Nico Mastorakis (; born 28 April 1941) is a Greek filmmaker and radio producer. He is probably best known for his 1973 live interview of 17 arrested Greek students, which happened without their consent, in favor of the Greek military junta. The st ...

* Prodromos Meravidis *

* Nikos Perakis * Vassilis Photopoulos *

Maria Plyta Maria Plyta (27 November 1915 – 4 March 2006) was a Greek screenwriter and film director. She was known for her work with the melodramatic and her capacity to convey a distinctly feminine sense of culture, civilization and identity. Through her ...

Spiros Stathoulopoulos Spiros Stathoulopoulos (; born 1978) is a Greek-Colombian film director best known for the continuously shot thriller ''PVC-1'' (2007) and ''Meteora'' (2012). Biography Spiros Stathoulopoulos was born in Greece and moved to Colombia at the ag ...

* Stelios Tatasopoulos *

Giorgos Tzavellas George Tzavellas, also rendered Giorgos Tzavellas, Yiorgos Tzavellas, or Yorgos Javellas (, 1916, Athens – October 18, 1976), was a Greek film director, screenwriter, and playwright. His filmmaking was particularly influential, with critic Georg ...

Takis Vougiouklakis Panagiotis "Takis" Vougiouklakis (; 6 March 1939 – 8 April 2021) was a Greece, Greek director and producer. Biography Vougiouklakis was born in Athens and is the relative of the former prefectural leader of Arcadia (regional unit), Arcadia, j ...

Screenwriters

Efthymis Filippou Efthimis Filippou (, ; born 18 January 1977), sometimes credited as Efthymis Filippou, is a Greek writer, whose work includes books, plays and screenplays. He is best known for his collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos, with whom he c ...

Thanos Leivaditis Thanos Leivaditis (also Thanos Livaditis) (, 30 May 1934 – 1 September 2005) was a List of Greek actors, Greek actor and screenwriter. He studied drawing at the Athens School of Fine Arts (, ), at the workshop class of the professor Yiannis Mo ...

Petros Markaris Pétros Márkaris (; born Bedros Markarian) is a Greek crime fiction writer. He is known for his detective novels starring the grumpy Athenian police investigator Costas Haritos. Early life and education The son of an Armenian entrepreneur an ...

Dimitris Psathas Dimitris Psathas (; 1907 – 13 November 1979) was a modern Greek satirist and playwright. He was born in Trabzon of Pontos, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1907. He went to Athens in 1923 and finished his studies whereby he devoted himself ...

* Mimis Traiforos *

Actors

* Alekos Alexandrakis *

Cybele Andrianou Cybele Andrianou (; 13 July 1888 – 26 May 1978), also known by her stage name Cybele (), was a Greek actress. She was born on 13 July 1888 to an unmarried couple in Smyrna and spent the first two years of her life in an Athens orphanage. At t ...

Beata Asimakopoulou Beata Asimakopoulou (; June 28, 1932 – April 20, 2009) was a Greek actress. Family She was married to Greek film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the sc ...

Vasilis Avlonitis Vasilis Avlonitis (; 1 January 1904 – 10 March 1970) was one of the most famous old-school Greek comedians. He performed in numerous films and stage productions in the mid to late 20th century. Vasilis Avlonitis is best known for his collabo ...

Andreas Barkoulis Andreas Barkoulis (; 4 August 1936 – 23 August 2016) was a Greek actor. He graduated from the “Kostis Mihailides” drama school. He was among the most popular male actors of the 1950s and 1960s in Greece. Barkoulis, acted in 109 films and pl ...

Vasilis Diamantopoulos Vasilis Diamantopoulos (; 15 November 1920 – 5 May 1999) was a Greek actor. He was one of the founders of the Modern Theater and was the first actor to appear live on Greek television in the single act play ''Him and his pants'' by Iakovos Ka ...

Lavrentis Dianellos Lavrentis Dianellos (Greek: Λαυρέντης Διανέλλος; 1911 – 16 September 1978) was a Greeks, Greek actor. From 1948 to 1975, he appeared in 200 films, leading one reviewer to call him "ubiquitous." Indicative filmography * ''The ...

* Chronis Exarhakos *

Spiros Focás Spiros Focás (; 17 August 1937 – 10 November 2023) was a Greek actor. Life and career Spyros Fokas was born Spyridon Androutsopoulos in Patras on 17 August 1937. Focás made his first appearance in 1959. He first appeared in Andreas Lambr ...

Mimis Fotopoulos Dimitris "Mimis" Fotopoulos (; 8 April 1913 – 29 October 1986) was a Greek actor, writer, poet, and artist. He was born in Zatouna, Gortynia, Arcadia. He studied at the Dramatic School of National Theatre (Δραματική Σχολή του ...

Giorgos Fountas Giorgos Fountas (; 13 February 1924 – 28 November 2010) was a List of Greek actors, Greek actor in film and television. Biography Fountas was born on 13 February 1924 in Phocis. He attended the Dramatic School at the Athens Odeum. ...

Petros Fyssoun Petros Fyssoun (; 5 October 1933 – 5 December 2016) was a Greek actor in film and television. Biography Petros Fyssoun was born in Agrinio, Greece, his father was a Russian émigré, who was established in Greece after the Russian Revolution. ...

Giorgos Gavriilidis Giorgos Gavriilidis (Greek: Γιώργος Γαβριηλίδης; 1908 – 23 July 1982) was a Greece, Greek actor. He was the husband of Marika Krevata (1910 - 14 September 1994). He was marked out from the theatre and played roles in many co ...

Katerina Gogou Katerina Gogou (; 1940–1993) was a Greek poet, author and actress. Personal life Katerina Gogou was born in 1940 during World War II and the Axis occupation of Greece, for which she did not spend a pleasant childhood. She had a strict fathe ...

* Costas Hajihristos *

* Antonis Kafetzopoulos *

Xenia Kalogeropoulou Xenia Kalogeropoulou (; born September 12, 1936) is a Greek actress, who appeared in both Greek and English-speaking films in her career. With her career, spanning six decades, she has appeared in over forty films and television shows. Biograph ...

* Kostas Karras *

Martha Karagianni Martha Karagianni (; 6 November 1939 – 18 September 2022) was a Greek film actress. She was born in Athens, but raised in Keratsini. She was one of the most popular Greek actresses of the 1960s. She starred in many films, 19 of which were prod ...

Tzeni Karezi Tzeni Karezi (; 12 January 1932 – 26 July 1992) also known as Jenny Karezi, was a Greek film and stage actress. Biography Early life Evgenia Karpouzi was born in Athens, Greece, to a mathematician father from Mesolonghi and high school teac ...

Manos Katrakis Emmanuel "Manos" Katrakis (; 14 August 1908 – 3 September 1984) was a Greek actor of theater and film.IMDb pro ...

Tasso Kavadia Anastasia (Tasso) Kavadia (; 10 January 1921 – 18 December 2010) was a Greek film and television actress. Βιογραφικό Η Καββαδία Τασσώ From 1954 until 1967, η Τασσώ Καββαδία worked as a radio journal ...

Kostas Kazakos Kostas Kazakos (; 29 May 1935 – 13 September 2022) was a Greek actor, television director, and politician. Early life Kazakos was born on 29 May 1935 in Pyrgos, Elis, originally from the village of Karyes, Trifylia. At the age of 18, he sett ...

Lambros Konstantaras Lambros Konstantaras (13 March 1913 – 28 June 1985) was a Greek film actor. He appeared in 80 films between 1940 and 1981 and is considered as one of the best Greek comedian actors of all time. Biography He was born in 1913, in Kolonaki, ...

Giorgos Konstantinou Giorgos Konstadinou (; born October 27, 1934, in Vathi, Athens) is a Greek actor, writer, and director. He is the son of actress Nitsa Filosofou. His career was boosted after the 'profiterole' scene in the movie '' Ktipokardia sto thranio'' and ...

Maro Kontou Maro Kontou (; born 21 June 1934) is a Greek actress and politician. She performed in more than sixty films since 1954. Kontou was a member of the Hellenic Parliament from 1999 to 2007, representing the Athens A constituency and elected as a memb ...

Marika Kotopouli Marika Kotopouli ( ; 3 May 1887 – 11 September 1954) was a Greek stage actress during the first half of the 20th century. Biography Kotopouli was born on 3 May 1887 in Athens to actor parents, Dimitrios Kotopoulis and his wife, Eleni. Marika' ...

Nikos Kourkoulos Nikos Kourkoulos (; December 5, 1934 – January 30, 2007) was a Greek theatrical and film actor. Kourkoulos is best known to Greek audiences for playing "Angelos Kreouzis" in '' Oratotis miden'', but he also appeared in other movies such as ''To ...

Marika Krevata Marika Krevata (Greek: Μαρίκα Κρεβατά; 12 June 1910 – 14 September 1994) was a Greek actress of theatre and film. Biography Marika Krevata was the daughter of Stamatis Krevatas (musician) and his wife, Sofia. She was born in Athe ...

Zoe Laskari Zoe Laskari (, ; 12 December 1942 – 18 August 2017) was a Greek actress and beauty pageant titleholder. After being crowned Star Hellas 1959 and representing Greece at Miss Universe 1959, where she was placed in the top-15, she switched to act ...

* Ilya Livykou *

Alexis Minotis Alexis Minotis (; born Alexandros Minotakis (); 8 August 1900 – 11 November 1990) was a Greek actor and director. He first appeared on stage in his native Crete as Chorus Leader and later as Messenger in Sophocles' ''Oedipus Tyrannus''. From ...

Vangelis Mourikis Vangelis Mourikis () is a Greek film actor, who has appeared in more than thirty films since 1982. He studied in Australia where he did his first work. In the 1990s he returned to Greece and devoted himself to independent cinema. He has won seven ...

Sotiris Moustakas Sotiris Moustakas () (17 September 1940 – 4 June 2007) was a Greek Cypriot actor born in Kato Platres, Limassol. His acting career lasted for over four decades, with 1960s–80s as his most successful years. He was described as an "Actor w ...

* Elena Nathanael * Christoforos Nezer *

Marika Nezer Marika Nezer (; 1906 – 18 July 1989) was a Greek actress. She was the daughter of Konstantinos Nezer, brother of Christoforos Nezer (1903–1996) and cousin of Christoforos Nezer (1887–1970) and granddaughter of Christoforos Nezer, fort c ...

Sapfo Notara Sapfo Notara (; c. 1907 – June 11, 1985), born Sapfo Chandanou (), was a Greek actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in ...

Makis Papadimitriou Makis Papadimitriou (; born on 1 January 1975) is a Greek actor. He graduated from National Theatre of Greece Drama School and has appeared in more than thirty films since 2003. Selected filmography References External links * Ye ...

Dimitris Papamichael Dimitris Papamichael ( ; 29 August 1934 - 8 August 2004) was a popular Greek actor and director. In 1965, he married Aliki Vougiouklaki Aliki Stamatina Vougiouklaki (Greek: Αλίκη Σταματίνα Βουγιουκλάκη Greek pronunc ...

Dionyssis Papayannopoulos Dionysis Papagiannopoulos (; 12 July 1912 – 13 April 1984) was a Greek actor. He was born in Diakopto in the northeastern part of Achaea in 1912. He studied at the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece (Ethniko Theatro) in Athens and ...

Angeliki Papoulia Angeliki Papoulia (; born 1975) is a Greek actress and theatre director. In film, she is most notable for her roles in ''Dogtooth'', ''Alps'' and ''The Lobster'' by Yorgos Lanthimos, and '' A Blast'' and ''The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea'' by ...

* Stavros Paravas *

Daphne Patakia Daphne (; ; , , ), a figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in which she appears, but t ...

* Vangelis Protopapas *

Nikos Rizos Nikos Rizos (; 30 September 1924, in Peta, Arta, Peta – 20 April 1999, in Athens) was a Greece, Greek actor. He took part in many Greek comedies in cinema. Career Rizos began his career with ''Anthropoi, anthropoi'' in 1948 at the Metropoli ...

Yvonne Sanson Yvonne Sanson, born Fotini Sapountzakis (Greek: Φωτεινή ΣαπουντζάκηGeorges Sari *

Nikos Stavridis Nikos Stavridis (, 6 April 1910 – 12 December 1987) was a Greek actor in film and theater. Biography He started his career at a musical theatre, he participated in shows, operettas and varieties. In the 1940s, he began to make his own company ...

Smaro Stefanidou Smaro Stefanidou (; 9 April 1913 – 7 November 2010) was a Greece, Greek theatre, film, television and radio actress. Biography Her family's origin is from Asia Minor. She graduated from Business School in Athens, she learned foreign langu ...

Stefanos Stratigos Stefanos Stratigos (; 1923 – April 6, 2006) was a Greek actor in film and television. Biography He was born in Athens in 1923 and was the son of the actors Vasileios and Amalia Stratigos. His sisters were actors Aleka and Stella Stratigou. ...

Anna Synodinou Anna Synodinou (Greek: Άννα Συνοδινού; 21 November 1927 – 7 January 2016) was a Greek actress and politician. Born in Loutraki, she studied at the National Theatre of Greece Drama School. She mainly excelled in ancient drama an ...

* Christos Tsaganeas *

Nitsa Tsaganea Nitsa Tsaganea (; 17 February 1902 – 30 April 2002) was a Greek actress of theatre and film. Biography Eleni Laskari (Ελένη Λάσκαρη) was the second wife of actor Christos Tsaganeas. Her most famous movies were ''Enas iroas me panto ...

Vasilis Tsivilikas Vasilis Tsivilikas (Thessaloniki, January 17, 1942 – Athens, February 29, 2012) was a Greek comedy actor with significant appearances in the Greek film industry, television and especially theater. Biography He was born on January 17, 1942, ...

* Nora Valsami *

Titos Vandis Titos Vandis (; 7 November 1917 – 23 February 2003) was a Greek actor. Biography Vandis began his career on the Greek stage in the late 1930s. In 1962, he won the Best Actor award for the film ''Poliorkia'' at the Thessaloniki Internation ...

Aimilios Veakis Aimilios Veakis (; December 13, 1884 – June 29, 1951) was a Greek actor. An active member of the National Liberation Front during the Axis occupation of Greece, he was persecuted for his leftist beliefs during the White Terror. Biography Aim ...

* Georgia Vasileiadou *

Sofia Vembo Sofia Bembou (; 10 February 1910 – 10 March 1978), known professionally as Sofia Vembo (), was a leading Greek singer and actress active from the interwar period to the early postwar years and the 1950s. She became best known for her perfor ...

* Rena Vlahopoulou *

Giannis Voglis Giannis Voglis (; born Ioannis Gonglis, Ιωάννης Γκόγκλης; 30 September 1937 – 20 April 2016) was a Greek actor. Biography Voglis was born in Athens and he studied at Pelos Katselis' drama academy. His father was from Asia Mino ...

Kostas Voutsas Kostas Voutsas (; born Konstantinos Savvopoulos (; 31 December 1931 – 26 February 2020) was a Greek actor, director, and writer. Biography Voutsas was born in Vyronas, Athens in 1931 to a refugee family from Epivates, and moved to Thessalo ...

Sperantza Vrana Sperantza Vrana (; 6 February 1928 – 29 September 2009) was a Greece, Greek actress and writer. She was born as Elpida Homatianou (''Ελπίδα Χωματιανού'') in Messolongi on 6 February, either in 1926 or 1932. She wrote several bo ...

Eleni Zafeiriou Eleni Zafeiriou (; 1916 – 2 September 2004) was a Greek film actress. She appeared in 108 films between 1951 and 1996. She was born in Larissa, Greece, and died in Athens. Filmography In film * ''Bitter Bread'' (1951) * ''Dead City (film), D ...

Pantelis Zervos Pantelis Zervos (, born 1908 in Loutraki – January 22, 1982, in Athens) was a Greek theatrical and a film actor. Biography Zervos was born in Loutraki near Corinth in Perachora. He attended the Art Theatre School with Karolos Koun (Coon). ...

Directors of photography

Giorgos Arvanitis Giorgos (or Yorgos) Arvanitis (; born February 22, 1941) is a Greek cinematographer. Life Arvanitis was born in the village of Dilofo, Makrakomi, Phthiotis, Greece. Having received an education as an electrician in the construction sector, he ...

Scenographers

* Vassilis Photopoulos *

Yannis Tsarouchis Yannis Tsarouchis (; 13 January 1910 – 20 July 1989) was a Greek modernist painter and set designer who achieved international fame, and was "known in particular for his homoerotic subjects," including soldiers, sailors, and nude males. Biogra ...

Film score composers

* Kostas Giannidis *

(''notable:

, Htipokardia sto thranio'') * Kostas Kapnisis *

Eleni Karaindrou Eleni Karaindrou (; born 25 November 1941) is a Greek composer. She is best known for scoring the films of the Greek director Theo Angelopoulos. Biography Karaindrou moved with her family to Athens when she was eight years old, and she studied ...

(''notable:

'') *

Giorgos Katsaros Giorgos Katsaros () (born on 7 March 1934 in Corfu) is a noted Greek people, Greek musician and songwriter. He plays the alto saxophone. He has made a variety of recordings, collaborating amongst others with Greek people, Greek musical composers ...

Loukianos Kilaidonis Loukianos Kilaidonis (; 15 July 1943 – 7 February 2017) was a Greek composer, songwriter and singer. Biography Kilaidonis was born at Kypseli, Athens. He studied at the Lycée Léonin of Patissia. He then studied architecture at the Aristotle ...

(''notable:

'') *

Manos Loïzos Manos Loïzos (; 1937–1982) was one of the most important Cypriot music composers of the 20th century. Biography He was born on 22 October 1937 to Greek Cypriot immigrants in Alexandria, Egypt. His parents came from the small village of Agio ...

(''notable: Evdokia'') * Yannis Markopoulos * Giorgos Mouzakis *

Vangelis Papathanassiou Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (, ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; , ), was a Greek musician, composer, and producer of electronic, progressive, ambient, and classical orchestral music. He composed ...

(''notable:

'') *

Mimis Plessas Dimitrios "Mimis" Plessas (; 12 October 1924 – 5 October 2024) was a Greek musician, composer, conductor and pianist. Life and career Plessas was born in Athens. He attended the Lycée Léonin school in the Athens suburb of Nea Smyrni, and ...

(''notable:

What Did You Do in the War, Thanasi? ''What did you do in the war, Thanasis?'' () is a 1971 Greek satirical drama film. It starred Thanasis Veggos as Thanasis, a poor labourer trying to survive during the Axis occupation of Greece. With references to the Great Famine (Greece) and th ...

'') *

Michalis Souyioul Michail Sougioultzoglou ( ; 1 August 1906 – 16 October 1958), known professionally as Michalis Souyioul ( ) was a prominent Greek composer of light music in the early 20th century. Biography He was born in Aydın, in the Ottoman Empire on ...

Stamatis Spanoudakis Stamatis Spanoudakis (Greek: Σταμάτης Σπανουδάκης; born 11 December 1948 in Athens, Greece) is a modern Greek classical composer. In his early career, he studied classical guitar. He shifted to rock music, but then continued c ...

Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' (1969), and '' Serpico'' (1973). He was a three-ti ...

(''notable:

, Z,

'') *

Stavros Xarchakos Stavros Xarchakos, Greek: Σταύρος Ξαρχάκος (born 14 March 1939) is a Greek composer and conductor. Stavros Xarchakos was born in Athens, where he studied at the Athens Conservatoire. He has family origins from the Mani Peninsul ...

(''notable:

'') *

Giorgos Zambetas Giorgos Zampetas (Pronounced 'Zabetas', , sometimes romanized as George Zambetas / George Zabetas / Giorgos Zabetas; 25 January 1925 – 10 March 1992) was a Greek bouzouki musician. He was born in Athens, where he also died, but his origins were ...

References

Bibliography

* Dimitris Koliodimos, ''The Greek filmography, 1914 through 1996'' (vols. 1 and 2), Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1999. * ''Journal of Modern Greek Studies'' 18.1, May 2000, Special Issue: "Greek Film." * Vrasidas Karalis, ''A History of Greek Cinema'', Continuum, 2012.

External links

Madbox Entertainment - Film production company and studios and postproduction

myFILM.gr - Entertainment news and movie reviews (Greek)

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080511001019/http://90lepta.com/ Database of Greek films
greek-movies.com

Greek movies, tv series and shows database.

Make a Movie in Greece - media productions in Greece

Various movie theatres in GreeceVideo of Peter Yiannoudes, who established Greek Cinema in Victoria, Australia in the 1950s
on Culture Victoria {{Europe topic, Cinema of Culture of Greece

History of the Greek cinema

Origins

The Golden Age (modern period)

Postmodern period

Notable films

Notable musicals

Filming, distribution companies and studios

Past

Current

Producers

Renowned figures

Directors

Screenwriters

Actors

Directors of photography

Scenographers

Film score composers

See also

References

Bibliography

External links