Greek Cinema - Hellenic University Club of Southern California

HISTORY OF DOCUMENTARIES 1976-2000
The period of 1976 to 2000 was very
productive in short movies and documentaries.
Among the new comers was Maria
Hatzimichali-Papaliou. She was involved not
only as a producer but also as a director. Her
feature documentary O Agonas ton Tiflon
(The Struggle of the Blind), 1977, received
the second prize in the Thessaloniki Film
Festival, and also received the Fipresci
Award. Its subject is cry for compassion, respect,
better treatment by society and especially
by the church, and a sincere effort to
improve the lives of the blind. Maria Papaliou
is also credited with short documentaries
such as Kinimatografisi Laekon Kinitopieseon
(Film Archive of Greek Social
and Political Life), (1979), Ginekia Portreta
(Portraits of Women), (1984), the 30 minutes
movies, Lily Iakovvidou (1985), O Allos
Mithos (The Other Myth), (1986); Lucia
(1988), a series of six 45 minute documentaries.
In 1992-93 directed eight episodes, 10
to 20 minutes each under the title Macedonia,
produced by the National Bank of
Greece Tourism Organization. Most of her
movies have participated in international film
festivals. In 1991 she was awarded the Greek
Academy Award for her documentary Lucia.
Also in 1976, the experimental documentary
Gramma Ston Nazim Hickmet (Letter
to Nazim Hickmet) was released, directed by
Kostas Aristopoulos. It is an exchange of letters
between the Turkish poet Nazim and the
director Kostas Aristopoulos. It also includes
letters exchanged with people from Chile,
Spain, Turkey and Rhodesia about their serious
human rights violations and their struggle
for freedom and democracy and also includes
pictures and folk music from each country.
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These were followed by the feature documentary
To Mega Dokoumendo (The
Great Document), directed by Giorgos Filis.
Its theme is the problem of Cyprus, the unfair
invasion and the rape of the island by the
Turkish Army. It also presents the problem of
Turkish and Greek (Greek) Cypriots who became
refugees in their own country and the
1619 Greek Cypriots missing due to the 1974
invasion.
One more feature documentary with subject
the problems of Cyprus is Kipros E Alli
Pragmatikotita (Cyprus the Other Reality)
directed by Lambros Papademitrakis and
Thekla Kittou. They discuss the problem
without taking sides and show that both sides
are paying as long as the problem continues
unsolved. They propose that a just solution
will be to the benefit of everyone, especially
the victims.
Arkadi 1866 is one more feature documentary
directed by Simeon Kapetanakis and
is based on the heroic Cretan revolt and the
critical event at the Arcadi monastery where
the monks blew it up as Turkish soldiers
rushed in to kill those seeking refuge inside.
A very interesting feature documentary in
1977 was Alexandros O Megas: Anamesa
Stin Istoria Ke Ton Thrilo (Alexander the
Great: Between the History and The Legend)
directed by Nestor P. Matsas. It was filmed in
twenty countries including Egypt, Russia,
Lebanon, India, Persia, Iraq, Israel, Afghanistan,
Asia Minor, and others. It recounts the
life and activities of Alexander the Great who
tried to united the world and educate them
instead of conquering and enslaving them.