His 12 movies that left an era
On this day, on December 15, 1926, a man was born, who is rightly considered one of the greatest figures of modern Greek cinema. Leading Greek director and screenwriter, Nikos Koundouros he left behind a rich film work, through 12 iconic films that won international and domestic awards.
A few words about the life of the great filmmaker
Son of Iosif Koundouros (lawyer and politician in the government of Eleftherios Venizelos), Nikos Koundouros was born in Athens on December 15, 94 years ago. His parents did not want him to be naturalized as an Athenian, so they moved him to Crete, so that he could be registered in the town registers of Agios Nikolaos.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, from which he graduated in 1948, studying painting and sculpture. During the Second World War he was organized in EAM – ELAS and took part in the Decembriana, in the “Lord Byron” student group, while after the war he was exiled to Makronissos due to his views. At the age of 28, he decided to work in cinema.
In Makronissos he also met Thanasis Veggos, and thus began a friendship that lasted for many decades. In fact, Nikos Koundouros was the one who distinguished his acting talent, and that’s how Thanasis Veggos got involved in cinema, with his first role being in “Magic City”, Koundouros’ first film.
The 12 films that Nikos Koundouros directed in his career
The great filmmaker directed only 12 films in his multi-year career – but all of them left an era. He approached the Greek reality like no one else, while he did not hesitate to talk about the real problems of modern Greek society, but also about historical events, always through his unique visual perspective.
Magic City (1954)
THE “Magic City” is one of the landmark films of Greek cinema. A neorealist drama that is today one of the most characteristic examples of the current of neorealism in Greece. It was a surprising debut for Koundouros, since this film finally represented Greece at the Venice Film Festival in 1954, with the English title ‘Magic City’. According to Nikos Koundouros, the film was partly inspired by Thanasis Veggos, and specifically by the poverty that plagued a large part of Greek society. “I remember when I first went to Vengo’s house in Faliro… I had never encountered such poverty before in my life. Then, I said: “I want to deal with these people, I want to show the pain and dignity of these people…”. And I did, I believe!” had specifically stated.
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Source :Skai
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