A Michalis Cacoyannis trilogy at the Athinais
With «Iphigenia,» acclaimed director Michalis Cacoyannis fulfilled a dream he had had for a long time: to transport Euripides’ trilogy onto the big screen. Stills from the shooting of the three films – with «Elektra» and «The Trojan Women» – as well as texts by the director himself have been included in a new coffee-table book, «Trilogy,» published by Itanos. The presentation of the book was held on Monday at the Athinais complex in Votanikos, and within the context of the presentation, the cultural venue will be screening the trilogy in its original sequence, starting this evening with «Iphigenia» (1977) and continuing tomorrow with «The Trojan Women» (1971) and Thursday with «Elektra» (1962). The trilogy has met with varying success internationally, especially since 15 years elapsed from the first to the last. While «Iphigenia,» with an all-Greek cast led by Irene Papas, won Cacoyannis nominations at the Academy Awards and at Cannes (for the Palme d’Or), the star-studded «Trojan Women» (featuring Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Genevieve Bujold, Brian Blessed, Patrick Magee and again, Papas) received lukewarm reviews and no major nominations. Though last in Euripides’ series, the striking and dramatic black-and-white «Elektra» came first in Cacoyannis’s film trilogy, launching Papas in the lead and with the support of respected local talent such as Yiannis Fertis (Orestes) and Aleka Katseli (Clytemnestra). Athinais, 34-36 Kastorias, Votanikos, tel 210.348.0000.
