An “El Greco” week is under way in Athens, with a series of events dedicated to the celebrated painter. The exhibition “Moments from ‘El Greco: The Film’” opened in the Syntagma metro station earlier this week, featuring costumes and photographs as well as paintings used in the movie directed by Yiannis Smaragdis.

The film’s premiere took place on Monday night, in the presence of Queen Sofia of Spain. At the premiere, Smaragdis noted that the film is a 10-year journey that has now come to an end and now belongs to its audiences. The director also spoke about the three artists – Savvas Georgiadis, Stelios Petroulakis and Nikos Moschos – who created the copies of El Greco paintings used in the film, becoming the artist’s “hand.”

British actor Nick Ashdon, who takes the role of the celebrated artist in the film, spoke of what he felt was a great honor in being asked to interpret the part and how he came to see things through the “Cretan soul.”

Juan Diego Botto, Nino de Guevara in the film, mentioned another dimension: “The film talks about how power can burn people, something that is also very contemporary.”

Queen Sofia of Spain was expected to inaugurate the “El Greco and his Workshop” exhibition at the Museum of Cycladic Art last night. Featuring 58 works from major Spanish museums (including a number of original El Greco works) the show opens to the public today.