Theo Angelopoulos

Theodoros "Theo" Angelopoulos (Greek: Θεόδωρος Αγγελόπουλος; (27 April 1935 – 24 January 2012) was a Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer. He dominated the Greek art film industry from 1975 on,^[1] and Angelopoulos was one of the most influential and widely respected filmmakers in the world.^[2][3][4] He started making films in 1967. In the 1970s he made a series of political films about modern Greece.

Theo Angelopoulos
Angelopoulos in 2009
Born	Theodoros Angelopoulos (1935-04-27)27 April 1935 Athens, Greece
Died	24 January 2012(2012-01-24) (aged 76) Piraeus, Greece
Resting place	First Cemetery of Athens
Alma mater	National and Kapodistrian University of Athens IDHEC
Occupation(s)	Film director, screenwriter
Years active	1965–2012
Spouse	Foivi Oikonomopoulou ​ ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	3
Awards	Palme d'Or (1998)
Website	Official website

Angelopoulos' films, described by Martin Scorsese as that of "a masterful filmmaker", are characterized by the slightest movement, slightest change in distance, long takes, and complex, carefully composed scenes. His cinematic method is often described as "sweeping" and "hypnotic."^[2][5] Angelopoulos has said that in his shots, “time becomes space and space becomes time.” The pauses between action or music are important to creating the total effect.^[6]

In 1998 his film Eternity and a Day went on to win the Palme d'Or at the 51st edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and his films have been shown at many of the world's esteemed film festivals.^[7]

Biography

Theodoros Angelopoulos was born in Athens on 27 April 1935. His father Spyros hailed from the town of Ampeliona, Messenia in the Peloponnese.^[8] During the Greek Civil War, his father was taken hostage and returned when Angelopoulos was 9 years old; according to the director, the absence of his father and looking for him among the dead bodies (during the "Dekemvriana" in Athens) had a great impact on his cinematography.^[9][8] He studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, but after his military service went to Paris to attend the Sorbonne. He soon dropped out to study film at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC) before returning to Greece. There, he worked as a journalist and film critic. Angelopoulos began making films after the 1967 coup that began the Regime of the Colonels. He made his first short film in 1968 and in the 1970s he began making a series of political feature films about modern Greece: Days of '36 (Meres Tou 36, 1972), The Travelling Players (O Thiassos, 1975) and The Hunters (I Kynighoi, 1977). In 1978, he was a member of the jury at the 28th Berlin International Film Festival.^[10]

Theo Angelopoulos is a masterful filmmaker. He really understands how to control the frame. There are sequences in his work—the wedding scene in The Suspended Step of the Stork; the rape scene in Landscape in the Mist; or any given scene in The Traveling Players—where the slightest movement, the slightest change in distance, sends reverberations through the film and through the viewer. The total effect is hypnotic, sweeping, and profoundly emotional. His sense of control is almost otherworldly.

—Martin Scorsese^[5]

He quickly established a characteristic style, marked by slow, episodic and ambiguous narrative structures as well as long takes (The Travelling Players, for example, consists of only 80 shots in about four hours of film). These takes often include meticulously choreographed and complicated scenes involving many actors.

His regular collaborators include the cinematographer Giorgos Arvanitis, the screenwriter Tonino Guerra and the composer Eleni Karaindrou. One of the recurring themes of his work is immigration, the flight from homeland and the return, as well as the history of 20th century Greece. Angelopoulos was considered by British film critics Derek Malcolm^[3] and David Thomson^[4] as one of the world's greatest directors. Famous film directors including Werner Herzog^[11] Emir Kusturica,^[12] Akira Kurosawa,^[13][14][15] Ingmar Bergman,^[16] Wim Wenders,^[17] Dušan Makavejev,^[18] William Friedkin,^[19] Manoel de Oliveira,^[20] Michelangelo Antonioni among others,^[21] were also admirers of his works.

While critics have speculated on how he developed his style, Angelopoulos made clear in one interview that "The only specific influences I acknowledge are Orson Welles for his use of plan-sequence and deep focus, and Mizoguchi, for his use of time and off-camera space."^[22] He had also cited Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 work Stalker as an influence.^[23]

Angelopoulos was awarded honorary doctorates by the Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium in 1995, by Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, France, by the University of Essex, UK in July 2001,^[24] by the University of Western Macedonia, Greece in December 2008,^[25] and by the University of the Aegean, Greece in December 2009.^[26]

Death

Angelopoulos died late on Tuesday, 24 January 2012, several hours after being involved in a crash while shooting his latest film, The Other Sea in Athens.^[27] On that evening, the filmmaker had been with his crew in the area of Drapetsona, near Piraeus when he was hit by a motorcycle, which unconfirmed reports suggested was ridden by an off-duty police officer. The crash occurred when Angelopoulos, 76, attempted to cross a busy road. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated in an intensive care unit but succumbed to his serious injuries several hours later.^[28][29] His funeral was a public expense, on 27 January at the First Cemetery of Athens.^[30]

Filmography

Film and television work by Theo Angelopoulos

Year	Original title	English title	Director	Writer	Notes
1968	Η εκπομπή (I Ekpombi)	Broadcast	Yes	Yes	Short film
1970	Αναπαράσταση (Anaparastasi)	Reconstitution	Yes	No
1972	Μέρες του '36 (Meres tou '36)	Days of '36	Yes	No	Part 1 of the "Trilogy of History"
1975	Ο Θίασος (O Thiassos)	The Travelling Players	Yes	Yes	Part 2 of the "Trilogy of History"
1977	Οι Κυνηγοί (I Kinighi)	The Hunters	Yes	Yes	Co-writer Part 3 of the "Trilogy of History"
1980	Ο Μεγαλέξανδρος (O Megalexandros)	Alexander the Great	Yes	No
1983	Αθήνα, επιστροφή στην Ακρόπολη (Athina, epistrofi stin Akropoli)	Athens, Return to the Acropolis	Yes	Yes	Segment of Capitali culturali d'Europa
1984	Ταξίδι στα Κύθηρα (Taxidi sta Kythira)	Voyage to Cythera	Yes	Yes	Co-writer Part 1 of the "Trilogy of Silence"
1986	Ο Μελισσοκόμος (O Melissokomos)	The Beekeeper	Yes	Yes	Co-writer Part 2 of the "Trilogy of Silence"
1988	Τοπίο στην ομίχλη (Topio stin Omichli)	Landscape in the Mist	Yes	Yes	Co-writer Part 3 of the "Trilogy of Silence" European Film Award for Best Film 1989
1991	Το Mετέωρο Bήμα Tου Πελαργού (To Meteoro Vima tou Pelargou)	The Suspended Step of the Stork	Yes	No	Part 1 of the "Trilogy of Borders"
1995	Το βλέμμα του Οδυσσέα (To Vlemma tou Odyssea)	Ulysses' Gaze	Yes	Yes	Co-writer Part 2 of the "Trilogy of Borders"
1995	Lumière et compagnie	Lumière and Company	Yes	Yes	Co-director/co-writer Segment: Up to 52 seconds
1998	Μια αιωνιότητα και μια μέρα (Mia aioniotita kai mia mera)	Eternity and a Day	Yes	Yes	Co-writer Part 3 of the "Trilogy of Borders" Palme d'Or 1998
2004	Τριλογία: Το λιβάδι που δακρύζει (Trilogia I: To Livadi pou dakryzi)	Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow	Yes	No	Part 1 of the trilogy on modern Greece
2007	Chacun son cinéma	To Each His Own Cinema	Yes	Yes	Co-director/co-writer Segment: Trois minutes (Three Minutes)
2008	Η Σκόνη του Χρόνου (I skoni tou chronou)	The Dust of Time	Yes	No	Part 2 of the trilogy on modern Greece
2011	Mundo Invisivel	Invisible World	Yes	Yes	Co-director/co-writer Segment: Sky below
—[31]	I alli thalassa	The Other Sea	Yes	Yes	Part 3 of the trilogy on modern Greece

Awards

Angelopoulos won numerous awards, including the Palme d'Or at the 51st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 1998 for Eternity and a Day (Mia aioniotita kai mia mera). His films have been shown at the most important film festivals around the world.^[7]

Year	Issuer	Award	Film	Result
1968	Thessaloniki	Hellenic Association of Film Critics – Best Short Fiction	The Broadcast	Won[32][a]
1970	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Art Film	Reconstitution	Won[33][b]
1970	Thessaloniki	Best Greek New Director		Won[33][b]
1970	Thessaloniki	Hellenic Association of Film Critics – Best Film		Won[33][b]
1971	Berlinale	FIPRESCI – Special Mention		Won[34]
1971	Georges Sadoul	Best Film of the Year Shown in France		Won
1971	Hyères	Best Foreign Film		Won
1972	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Director	Days of '36	Won[35][c]
1973	Berlinale	FIPRESCI – Forum of New Cinema		Won[36]
1975	Cannes	FIPRESCI (Parallel Sections)	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][38]
1975	Berlinale	Interfilm Award – Forum of New Cinema	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][39]
1975	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Film	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][40][e]
1975	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Director	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][e]
1975	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Screenplay	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][e]
1975	BFI	Sutherland Trophy	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][41]
1977	Cannes	Palme d'Or	The Hunters	Nominated[42][43]
1978	Chicago	Golden Hugo for Best Film	The Hunters	Won
1980	Kinema Junpo	Best Foreign Language Film Director	The Travelling Players[d]	Won[37][44]
1980	Japanese Academy	Best Foreign Language Film	The Travelling Players[d]	Nominated[37][45]
1980	Venice	FIPRESCI	Alexander the Great	Won[46]
1980	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Film	Alexander the Great	Won[47]
1980	Thessaloniki	Hellenic Association of Film Critics – Best Film	Alexander the Great	Won[47]
1984	Cannes	Palme d'Or	Voyage to Cythera	Nominated[48][49][f]
1984	Cannes	Best Screenplay	Voyage to Cythera	Won[48][49][f]
1984	FIPRESCI	International Critic's Prize	Voyage to Cythera	Won[48][f]
1984	Rio	Critics' Award	Voyage to Cythera	Won
1986	Venice	Golden Lion	The Beekeeper	Nominated[50]
1988	Venice	Silver Lion	Landscape in the Mist	Won[51][g]
1989	Berlinale	Interfilm Award – Forum of New Cinema	Landscape in the Mist	Won[53]
1989	EFA	European Film Award for Best Film	Landscape in the Mist	Won[52][54]
1991	Cannes	Palme d'Or	The Suspended Step of the Stork	Nominated[55]
1991	Chicago	Golden Hugo for Best Director	Landscape in the Mist	Won[h]
1995	Cannes	Palme d'Or	Ulysses' Gaze	Nominated[56][57]
1995	Cannes	Grand Jury Prize	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[55][56]
1995	Cannes	International Critics' Prize	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[55][56]
1995	EFA	FIPRESCI – FELIX of the Critics	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[58][59]
1996	FSCC	Prix Léon Moussinac – Best Foreign Film	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[60]
1996	INSFJ	Best Foreign Film Director	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[61]
1997	Goya	Best European Film	Ulysses' Gaze	Nominated[62]
1997	Mainichi	Best Foreign Language Film	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[63]
1997	Sant Jordi	Best Foreign Film	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[64]
1997	Turia	Best Foreign Film	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[65]
1998	Cannes	Palme d'Or	Eternity and a Day	Won[66][67]
1998	Cannes	Prize of the Ecumenical Jury	Eternity and a Day	Won[66][67]
1998	São Paulo	Audience Award – Best Feature	Ulysses' Gaze	3[68]
1998	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Film	Eternity and a Day	Won[69]
1998	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Director	Eternity and a Day	Won[69]
1998	Thessaloniki	Best Greek Screenplay	Eternity and a Day	Won[69]
1999	ACCA	Silver Condor for Best Foreign Film	Ulysses' Gaze	Won[70]
2001	ACCA	Silver Condor for Best Foreign Film	Eternity and a Day	Won[71]
2004	Berlinale	Golden Bear	Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow	Nominated[72]
2004	EFA	European Film Award for Best Film	Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow	Nominated[73][74][i]
2004	EFA	Audience Award	Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow	Nominated[73][74][i]
2004	EFA	FIPRESCI – European Film Academy Critics	Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow	Won[73][74][75][i]
2005	Fajr	Special Jury Prize – Spiritual Competition	Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow	Won[76]

Lifetime achievement awards

Theodoros Angelopoulos was also the recipient of many awards for his long standing career.^[7]

Year	Provider	Award
1995	Université libre de Bruxelles	Honorary Doctorate
1996	Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists	European Silver Ribbon[61]
2001	University of Essex	Honorary Graduate[24]
2003	Copenhagen International Film Festival	Honorary Award[77][j]
2003	Flaiano Film Festival	Honorary Award[78]
2004	Montreal World Film Festival	Grand Prix Special des Amériques[79]
2004	Busan International Film Festival	Hand Printing[80]
2008	University of Western Macedonia	Honorary Graduate[25]
2010	Yerevan International Film Festival	Lifetime Achievement Award[81]
2009	University of the Aegean	Honorary Graduate[26]
2010	Dokuz Eylül University	Honorary Doctorate
—	Paris West University Nanterre La Défense	Honorary Doctorate

Notes

1. At the Thessaloniki International Film Festival of 1968, The Broadcast was also the recipient of a Honorable Mention by the Hellenic Association of Film Critics Award.^[32]
2. At the Thessaloniki International Film Festival of 1970, Reconstitution was also awarded:

   • The Best Greek Cinematography: Giorgos Arvanitis
   • The Best Greek Supporting Actress: Toula Stathopoulou.^[33]
3. At the Thessaloniki International Film Festival of 1972, Giorgos Arvanitis was awarded the Best Greek Cinematography prize for Days of '36.^[35]
4. The Travelling Players was also awarded:

   • The Best Film in the World for 1970–1980 by Italian Film Critics Association.
   • One of the Top Films in the History of Cinema by FIPRESCI.
   • The Grand Prix of the Arts, Japan.
   • The Golden Age Award, Brussels.
5. At the Thessaloniki International Film Festival of 1975, The Travelling Players was also awarded:^[40]

   • The Best Greek Actor: Vangelis Kazan
   • The Best Greek Actress: Eva Kotamanidou
   • The Best Greek Cinematography: Giorgos Arvanitis
   • The Greek Critics Association Award
6. At the 37th Cannes Film Festival, the Best Screenplay was awarded to Theodoros Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, and Thanassis Valtinos, and, the FIPRESCI International Film Critics Award was awarded ex-aequo with Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders.^[48]
7. At the 46th Venice International Film Festival, Landscape in the Mist and Theodoros Angelopoulos were also awarded:^[51]

   • The Prize of the Students of the University "La Sapienza"
   • The Pasinetti Award for the Best Film
   • The OCIC Award tied with The Legend of the Holy Drinker (La leggenda del santo bevitore) by Ermanno Olmi
   • The C.I.C.A.E. Award
   • The Sergio Trasatti Award

   Theodoros Angelopoulos, and the film cast and crew were also nominated for:^[52]

   • Best European Cinematographer: Giorgos Arvanitis
   • Best European Director: Theo Angelopoulos
   • Best European Screenwriter: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, and Thanassis Valtinos
   • Best European Supporting Performance
8. At the 27th Chicago International Film Festival, Landscape in the Mist was also awarded the Silver Plaque for Best Cinematography
9. At the 17th European Film Awards (2004), Theodoros Angelopoulos was also nominated for Best Director.^[74]
10. Theodoros Angelopoulos was the head of the jury of the first edition of the Copenhagen International Film Festival, held between 13–20 August 2003.^[77]