Georges Foundas Movies

In this romantic tragedy, Eleni (Angela Gerekou) is betrothed to Petros (Andreas Manoslikakis). However, she's not marrying him for love (she finds him irritating) but because his rich father paid for her operatic training in Athens and got her father out of debt. Eleni really loves Alan (Alex Hyde-White), the American professor who is her music teacher. Caught between her duty as a loyal daughter (and member in good standing of her village) and the love she feels for Alan, Eleni does not know what to do. In the meantime, Alan and Petros might resolve that issue for her. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

When Greek guerillas kill a Nazi soldier, the Germans round up 30 men to avenge the death in this World War II drama. Three brothers are among those slated for execution, and a priest, the local mayor, and a teacher ask that one of the men be spared. The three brothers return home and tell their father he must decide which of his sons will live. The father stays up all night trying to make his agonizing decision. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

If ever there was a role that Anthony Quinn was born to play, it was the lusty, life-affirming title character in Zorba the Greek. The scene is the isle of Crete, where English writer Alan Bates arrives in the hopes of realigning his own values and outlook on life. He is "adopted" by the flamboyant Zorba, who determines to educate Bates in the ways of the world-or, to be more precise, Zorba's world. Along the way, Bates is introduced to widow Irene Papas, the unrequited love object of everyone on the island, who comes to a tragic end when she is accused of adultery. The writer is also a spectator to the equally benighted romance between Zorba and venerable courtesan Lila Kedrova. Other disasters follow, but Zorba is able to convince Bates that failure is an inescapable part of life, and that only by constantly tasting defeat can one truly enjoy life's victories. Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek earned Oscars for actress Lila Kedrova, cinematographer Walter Lassally and art director Vassilis Fotopoulos. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this unusual Greek drama, the Greeks living in Ionia must leave their homes after Greece and Turkey sign new boundary agreements. The young wife of an elderly doctor decides to ignore the government's suggestion that she grow wheat and grapes and instead begins growing roses in the tradition of her husband's family. As the story progresses, certain scenes are replayed, especially the one in which the despondent doctor contemplates his ruined marriage and his influence over a group of Ionian immigrants. Because her husband is unhappy, the wife is also unhappy and destroys her beloved rose bushes. The film ends where it began. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A small Greek village is invaded by soldiers in this anti-war tale. Bringing along the dead, the soldiers claim one of the residents of the town is responsible for the deaths of their cohorts. The angry army men block the main road, vowing to cut off much needed supplies and food until the town gives up the guilty party. The panic-stricken townsfolk conspire to give up an innocent newcomer to appease the soldiers and open up the blockade. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this globally acclaimed comedy drama, eccentric, tough, and carefree Ilya (Melina Mercouri) is one of those characters who makes her mark on film history, and who made an internationally known star out of Mercouri. Ilya is a prostitute in the port of Piraeus with a definite sense of social and economic justice. The aptly named Homer (director Jules Dassin, later to marry his star) arrives in Greece, meets the irrepressible Ilya, and decides she needs more of the traditional Greek culture and less of those flamboyant emotions that are not really Greek, you see. So while he tries to play Henry Higgins, Ilya is willing to give up her usual self for two weeks. The question is, what will happen once the two weeks are over, assuming she can get through them? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi