Dinos Katsouridis Movies

Greek director Dimitris Stavrakas delivers this sensitively wrought, French-flavored drama about a kindly teacher who takes a personal interest in the class dunce. Aris (Dimitris Alexandris) is a teacher from the countryside who arrives at his new job at an Athens elementary school. He takes under his wing Lefteris (Yorgos Halaris), an illiterate child who is the butt of jokes at the school. Aris tries to help the kid in the face of great opposition (including the school's principal), but the day that he falls ill, Lefteris runs away. This film was screened at the 1999 Thessaloniki Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

This old-fashioned Greek sex-comedy examines the practice of a psychiatrist renowned for his treatment of sexual disorders. His crazy patients provide the action. Other characters include his brother the film director who keeps trying to get the government to fund his slasher movies, his brother's wife the nymphomaniac, his crazy parents, his fiance who affects manly ways, and his secretary who wears a nun's habit but is openly after the good doctor. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this slightly satirical drama, Polychronis, a young idealist, has left the village he was born in and now lives in Athens. For years he devoted himself to political causes, but now he looks up and realizes that all his old compatriots have lost the fire in their blood and have now settled down to ordinary, respectable lives as family people and even as members of the establishment. He is determined not to follow their example but finds that he is no longer sure what to fight for or how to go about it. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The Chilean Revolution of 1973 provides the framework of this propaganda drama that chronicles the aftermath of the assassination of President Salvador Allende. Much of the story centers on the effects the revolution has upon an American couple who lived there during the tumult. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this entertaining, interesting comedy drama about discovery in the graying years of life, the middle-aged Ulysses (Costas Voutsas) is fired from his long-time job as an accountant and roams the city of Athens in a haze. He comes across a woman who reminds him of someone he loved in his youth and is immediately intrigued by her. Since his family is away on vacation and he is at a loss -- he follows the woman through the city, encountering one odd situation after another. This film won the best director award for Vassilis Vafeas at the 1984 Thessaloniki Film Festival, and a special award went to Costas Voutsas for his interpretation of Ulysses. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The beloved Greek comic Thanassi Veguos stars in this comedy. He plays a young man with a lot of responsibilities. With his truck, which is not yet paid for, he supports both his sister and himself. Still, he cannot resist trying to help a young woman who has been evicted from her residence, belongings and all. The two travel about looking for someplace where she can live, but without success. When they unwittingly stop in the middle of an artillery range during shelling, their resistance has hilarious results. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this award-winning Greek tragicomedy, Thanassis becomes an unwitting hero of the Resistance during the German occupation of World War II Greece. As the film begins, Thanassis has hunkered down to do his factory job and avoid calling the attention of the Gestapo to himself. However, he is swept up in their net anyway. In prison, he is put in with a group of prominent members of the Resistance. They all attempt to escape, but Thanassis stumbles and is caught. He is then tortured under the pretext that he is a Resistance leader. The Germans want him to reveal information which, of course, he doesn't have. The prostitutes who are temporarily interned in the cell next to him help him escape, disguised as one of them. He goes back to his job at the factory and unknowingly continues to help the Resistance. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This gritty crime yarn from Greek director Dinos Katsouridis deals with a young criminal named Stathis (Nikos Kourkoulos), who is released from prison and gradually begins slipping back into a life of crime. His old gang decides to seek revenge on him, as Michalis (Yiorgos Moutsios), who stole Stathis' girlfriend, forces a prostitute to pose as Stathis' long-lost mother. He quits robbing people, deciding to settle down with his new girlfriend (Mary Chronopoulou) and support his "mother" until learning the truth and confronting Michalis in a fatal knife fight. Voula Harilaou co-stars with Despo Diamantidou and Alekos Tzanetakos. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Yiorgos Tzavellas wrote and directed this award-winning attempt at reimagining the classic tragedy by Sophocles as an actual motion picture rather than simply filming the play, as was common in Greek adaptations of theatrical productions since the late '20s. Manos Katrakis received widespread acclaim for his performance as Creon, who becomes King of Thebes after both of Oedipus' sons kill each other in a duel to determine ascension to the throne following his death. Creon orders the body of one son, Polynices, be left above ground, but the dead man's sister, Antigone (Irene Papas in an award-winning star turn), disobeys the new king and gives her brother a semi-proper burial by sprinkling him with dust. As punishment, Antigone is buried alive in a tomb despite her engagement to Creon's son Haemon (Nikos Kazis). Creon's mind is changed by Teiresias (Tzavalas Karoussos), a prophet who explains that leaving Polynices unburied sullies the realm of the gods. Unfortunately, by the time Creon gets around to burying Polynices and freeing Antigone, the poor girl has hanged herself in her tomb. This leads Creon's son to commit suicide as well, followed by the suicide of his own wife. Plagued with misery and guilt, the broken Creon abdicates the throne, crushed by the tragic chain of events that he had unwittingly set in motion. One of the best Greek productions of the 1960s, and highly recommended for students of classical Greek tragedy on film, Antigoni co-stars Maro Kondou, Ilya Livikou, Yiannis Argiris, and Theodoros Moridis. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi