CULTURE

Captain Corelli back in Greece

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, the film version of Louis De Bernieres’s best-selling book set on the island of Cephalonia, is to have its premiere on Monday night in aid of the Cerebral Palsy Society. De Bernieres’s story, of an Italian captain with the occupying forces during World War II who falls in love with a local girl, Pelagia, has been transformed into a vehicle for the talents of Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz, acting alongside Irene Pappas. Time has not aged Cacoyannis’s Electra, but has simply matured her talent. But Cephalonia is the real star of the film, and the sets for pre-earthquake Argostoli, its capital, are unrecognizable as the modern town. Takings from the premiere have been generously donated by the production company, Miramax Universal, to complete the Training and Rehabilitation Center for children and adults with cerebral palsy. The Open Door Center, in the eastern Athens suburb of Argyroupolis, is on a plot of land bought with donations from the Lilian Voudouri Foundation, and built with the help of a large sum collected through telemarathons. The organizers say Penelope Cruz will attend the premiere, along with De Bernieres. Irene Pappas’s presence is assured. A reception will be held after the showing in the Plaza Hotel at Syntagma.

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