One of the most important Greek directors, Vassilis Georgiadis, one of the few renews of the old commercial cinema, with a shrewd social look, sensitivity to the despised, “left” bitterly from the spectacle, despite his two nominations, despite his two nominees, He was painted with blood. “
A refugee from the Dardanelles, raised in Xylokastro, an anxious spirit, will enter the Greek film craft, which was developed post -war, from an early age, to delete a significant course and will find its acne in the 1970s, in the 1970s. We are some of the best series, classic, which are a milestone on Greek television, such as “Christ is resurrected”, “The Panthets”, “Ugerman”.
“I am tired of calling me a ‘teacher’ and giving me honorary awards and no one shouting at me for work,” he confessed to his friends when he would go to the sidelines of the cinema circuit, which turned his back on his back. A circuit that will attempt to eliminate this injustice, wanting to honor him, shortly before he died, at the Thessaloniki Festival, but he refused to attend, to give them the satisfaction that his uproar from his second home, the cinematic plateau, can be corrected. After all, his disobedient spirit had shown it from his adolescence, when he joined the resistance during the Occupation.
Vassilis Georgiadis, who died 25 years ago (April 30, 2000), served almost all the cinematic genres, always consistently, experienced the acceptance of the public, but also of criticism, conveying his characteristics, his simplicity, morality, sensitivity, sensitivity to his social and sensitivity.
From Asia Minor and Xylokastro to Stavrakos
Vassilis Georgiadis was born on August 12, 1921 in Dardanelia and at the age of 8 months, along with his family, he will take the refugee path. His father will choose Xylokastro as a place of residence, because he reminded him of the Asia Minor soil he left behind. As he himself said, Xylokastro, the landscape where he grew up, the forest, the seas, the hills he walked, gave him the willingness to deal with and express himself artistically. In his 14 years he moved to Athens and will join his first youth, and he will start writing poetry. He decided to study political science, but will give up, frustrated by the current sovereign policy. Coincidentally he will see a Film School, the “Film Studies Academy”, later Stavrakos School, where he will study for three years.
The aces of the stadiums
In the early 1950s, he will begin as an assistant director in some films, including “Dead State” by Frixos Eliades, the first Greek film to travel to the Cannes Festival and will show two huge talents, Irene Papa. His first directorial attempt will come in 1956, when he decides to return, in a script by Jacob Campanellis, the “Aces of the Stadiums”, starring well -known players, while the actors complemented the cast. A film, which he himself funded and in which he took advantage of the great lessons of Italian neo -realism. Simple, rotates around the daily life of five great players of the era belonging to the national team and the episode with the expulsion of the legendary Muratis, a poor and integral biomalade.
The film, despite its obvious technical weaknesses and its not -so -good commercial career, will shake the waters and reveal the talent of a new promising creator.
Comedies, fustanels and comedies
There will be two cute comedies “wandering Jews” (“The Doszates”) with Nikos Stavridis and Thanassis Vengo and “Holidays in Kolopetinitsa” with Kostas Hatzichristos and two sympathetic ethnographies, and ” Valakou, Kostas Kakkava and Stefanos General. In 1962, he will return the emotional drama “Anger”, with Anna Fonsu and Nikos Kourkoulos and at the same time the comedy, with European air, “don’t fall in love on Saturday”, with Papamichael and Daniel Loder.
Trouba and Oscar
In 1963 the time will come for his top creation, the provocative for the Drama era “The Red Lanterns”, as he will tell, with dynamism, penetrating look and tenderness about his heroes, the story of four women in a house of tolerance in the famous Troumba. The solid characters, played by Jenny Karezi, Mary Chronopoulou, Alexandra Ladikou, George Fountas, Despo Diamantidou, Katerina Helmis, Eleni Anousaki, Dimitris Papamichael and Manos Katrakis Directed by Georgiadis, they will send the film among the five for the Foreign Language Film Oscar. He will lose it from Fellini’s masterpiece “8.5”, and will also be stored in the Cannes projecting on the official program.
Greek Western and again at the Oscars
Two years later, while presenting the exquisite comedy “Marriage Ala Greek”, with George Constantinou and Xenia Kalogeropoulou, he will duplicate his international recognition, with the Greek Western “The soil was painted with blood”. A film, which narrates the uprising of the columns in the Thessalian plain against the Tsiflis and the controversy of two sons of Tsifliko Chrymova – one incomprehensible and cruel explorator and the other defender of poor workers’ rights. Georgiadis directs at a high standard, but it is impossible to tame Nikos Foskol’s sturgeon scenario. Nevertheless, the directing of Georgiadis, the highly cared for production and the remarkable interpretations of Kourkoulou, Vogli and in particular Katrakis, will bring the film again for the Foreign Language Film Oscar.
The dramatic diamonds
A renowned director now, Georgiadis will leave the overproduction and enter into smaller films, but they find their goal and will move the audience. Thus, in 1966 he will return the social drama “The Seventh Day of Creation”, with Elli Fotiou and George Georgi, where the dreams of a poor newly married couple are crushed by the harsh reality, while in 1968 he will charm us with the emotional drama ” The most attractive Elena Nathaniel.
The award to Constantara
In 1969 he will return to the comedy “The Blobatzis”, giving Lambros Constantaras the opportunity to win the interpretation award at the Thessaloniki Festival. Indeed, the protagonist had then stated that the prize would have to share it with Georgiadis, “after he guided me, in his own way, on other hypocritical paths.”
The Greek summer
It will be followed by the romantic comedy “Girls in the Sun”, with Vogli, and if Loberg and the unfulfilled love of a simplistic shepherd with a foreign tourist (he will be suggested for the Golden Ball of Foreign Language Film) and will essentially close his cinema in 1971. Laki Komninos composing a beautiful cinematic couple.
By highlighting literature on television
Standing excluded from the cinematic “Piazza”, Georgiadis will turn to television, highlighting literary excellent works, such as “Christ again”, “Panthets”, “Jugerman” and “Colonel Liapkin”. Masterpiece television series, which wrote their own story on Greek television, and showed a series of actors.
Vassilis Georgiadis will die on his day Easter in 2000 And he will be buried in his favorite Xylokastro, leaving behind a great work, but also his justified complaint that everyone turned his back on a time when the circuit was selling algae for silk ribbons …