EROTOKRITOS (in production)

SYNOPSIS

Athens, Greece, 17th century. Erotokritos, the king advisor’s son, confides to his best friend Polydoros that he is in love with Aretousa, king Heracles’ daughter. The king organizes a singing festival with the hope to catch the mysterious singer that rumor has him singing under his daughter’s balcony every night. Erotokritos kills two of the king’s guards when they are sent on the prowl to arrest him. Aretousa confides to her nurse Frosyni that she likes the singer but Frosyni urges her to come to her senses. Polydoros proposes a vacation to Erotokritos and they leave for Egripos so he can forget Aretousa. The king notices that Aretousa is sad lately and announces that he will organize a jousting tournament to please her. Erotokritos’ father, Pezostratos, gets very sick and all the royal family visits him. Aretousa realizes that Erotokritos is the mysterious singer after she discovers a manuscript with the lyrics she was hearing under her balcony and a painting, portrait of hers, inside Erotokritos’ room. Erotokritos returns from vacation to check on his father and discovers the missing manuscript and painting. He sends Polydoros to the palace to find out if the king knows anything and decides to play sick but Aretousa sends him a remedy gift so he understands she is also interested in him. Erotokritos takes part in the jousting tournament and wins. He secretly climbs to Aretousa’s balcony and they speak about their love for each other. Erotokritos tells his father that he wants to marry Aretousa and convinces him to deliver the message to the king. The king gets furious with the news, sending Erotokritos to exile and throwing his father out of the palace forever. Erotokritos secretly visits Aretousa and announces the bad news. They exchange vows of faith in the presence of Frosyni. Erotokritos leaves for exile, followed by his faithful slave, Pistentis. The king announces his plan to marry Aretousa with the prince of Byzantium. She refuses and the king throws her and her nanny both in jail. Erotokritos in exile, receives the news of Aretousa’s imprisonment and the threats of imminent attack of the Vlachs to Athens. His slave takes him to an old witch and she produces a potion. Erotokritos washes his face with the potion and transforms into a black, Saracen man. Erotokritos sets the slave free and decides to go to Athens and fight for its freedom. Erotokritos returns to Athens and joins the battle in favor of the Athenians. He fights so bravely that he forces many Vlach soldiers to flee and have both Athenians and Vlachs wondering who is this Saracen warrior that appeared out of nowhere. Vladistratos, the Vlach king, proposes to king Heracles a one-to-one fight in order to stop the pointless bloodshed, the Vlachs’ best fighter against the Athenians’ best. King Heracles holds a war council and they realize they don’t have any man that can match the Vlach champion, Aristos. Erotokritos enters the council and volunteers to fight. Erotokritos kills Aristos in an epic fight and the Vlachs vow for eternal allegiance to the Athenians. King Heracles visits the wounded Erotokritos and tells him that all his kingdoms now belong to him as well. Erotokritos denies the wealth and asks to marry Aretousa. The king fears about his daughter’s decision and urges him to ask her himself. Erotokritos visits Aretousa in jail and asks to marry her. She denies and then Erotokritos washes his face with the potion, returning to his real appearance. Aretousa is happy and relieved but proposes that he should change back to Saracen and proceed with the marriage. At the wedding, Erotokritos reveals his real identity to the king and the king forgives him, giving his blessing for the wedding and announcing him as the new king.

 
SCRIPT:  DIMITRIS APOSTOLOU
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0032157/
OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.dimitrisapostolou.com/ 
PRODUCTION: NIKOS NIKOLETOS - PROTASIS PRODUCTIONS
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1114826/ 
             http://www.imdb.com/company/co0225158/ 
CO - PRODUCER: NIKOS GIANNOPOULOS - NARCISSUS PROD
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0947961/

ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ - DEMOCRACY (84' - 2012)

ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ, ο Δρόμος του Σταυρού 

Οι εκλογές της 6ης Μαΐου αποτέλεσαν μία ιστορική στιγμή για την Ελλάδα, μία πρόκληση για τη δημοκρατία της. Ηταν πρόκληση και για τους ντόπιους κινηματογραφιστές να συμβάλουν κι αυτοί στην ηθική ενδοσκόπηση που απαιτούν οι καιροί, καταγράφοντας με τη δική τους ματιά τα πολιτικά ήθη που ευθύνονται σε μεγάλο βαθμό για τη σημερινή κατάσταση του τόπου. Μαζί με άλλους πέντε ντοκιμενταρίστες (Κατερίνα Πατρώνη, Χάρη Ραφτογιάννη, Χριστόφορο Γεωργούτσο, Νικολία Αποστόλου και Γιάννης Μισουρίδη), ο Μάρκο Γκαστίν παρακολούθησε βήμα-βήμα την προεκλογική εκστρατεία τεσσάρων υποψηφίων για το βουλευτικό αξίωμα (Γιάννης Ραγκούσης για το ΠΑΣΟΚ, Νίκος Κωστόπουλος για την ΝΕΑ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ, Ρένα Δούρου για τον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ και Ηλίας Παναγιώταρος για τη ΧΡΥΣΗ ΑΥΓΗ). Με μια ασυνήθιστα οικεία ματιά πάνω στους πολιτικούς, το «ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ, Ο Δρόμος του Σταυρού» είναι ένα διεισδυτικό πορτρέτο της άσκησης της πολιτικής στην Ελλάδα σήμερα. Χωρίς σχόλιο, χωρίς συνεντεύξεις, αφήνοντας το θεατή να κρίνει μόνος του. 

DEMOKRATIA, the Way of the Cross   

The May 6th elections were a historical moment for Greece and a real challenge to democracy. The local filmmaking community, eager to contribute to the necessary soul-searching required by the times, documented the political (mis) conduct largely responsible for the state the country currently finds itself in. Along with five other directors (Katerina Patroni, Haris Raftogiannis, Christophe Georgoutsos, Nikolia Apostolou, Giannis Misouridis), Marco Gastine followed every step of the pre-election campaigns of four candidate MPs from different political parties (socialist PASOK, centre-right New Democracy, radical left Syriza and right-wing extremist Golden Dawn). Offering an unusually intimate behind-the-scenes look, "DEMOKRATIA, the Way of the Cross" is an insightful portrait of political practices in 21st Century Greece. With no comments and no talking heads, the film allows viewers to draw their own conclusions.

Σκηνοθεσία / Directors: Marco Gastine and Katerina Patroni, Haris Raftogiannis, Christophe Georgoutsos, Nikolia Apostolou, Giannis Misouridis
Σενάριο / Screenwriter: Marco Gastine
Φωτογραφία / Photo: Katerina Patroni, Haris Raftogiannis, Christophe Georgoutsos, Nikolia Apostolou, Giannis Misouridis, Argiris theos,Yannis Voliotis
Μοντάζ / Editor: Chronis Theocharis
Assistant Editor: Yiannis Voliotis
Production Mamager:: Nikos Giannopoulos (IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0947961/ )
Εμφανίζονται / Featuring: Yannis Ragousis, Nikos Kostopoulos, Rena Dourou, Elias Panayotaros
Production:  Marco Gastine (IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2756439/) 
Ελλάδα / Greece

Un bruit qui rend fou / 1995

The complexly interwoven lives of the residents of an isolated Greek island form the basis of this psycho-sexual drama from iconoclastic film-maker Alain Robbe-Grillet. Living on the island are a few native Greeks, several Chinese, who spend their days playing mah-jongg, Nordmann, a boozy screenwriter, and seductive Sarah la-Blonde, the madam at the Blue Villa, the town whorehouse, in which Sarah hides Santa, alias Lotus Blossom. Sarah is teaching Santa to sing an aria from Wagner. One day, Frank, who could be a ghost, arrives on the island. At first he never speaks and appears to be looking for something or someone. It is later learned that he was involved in the supposed death of Santa, who just might be Nordmann's daughter. It is up to the local police chief, Thieu, to figure out what parts of the story are true and what parts are fiction.

Alain Robbe - Grillet pour UN BRUIT QUI RENT FOU

Directors: Dimitri de Clercq, Alain Robbe-Grillet

Writers: Dimitri de Clercq (adaptation), Alain Robbe-Grillet (dialogue)

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114774/

L'écrivain public / 1993

Pour retrouver les ardeurs de la belle Fanny, qui fut la femme de sa vie, Jacques demande a un ecrivain public de composer des lettres d'amour enflamees pour une belle inconnue que, pretend-il, il vient de rencontrer. No genres have been added yet.

Director: Jean-François Amiguet

Writer: Anne Gonthier

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108678/

Big Blue - Le grand bleu / 1988

Enzo and Jacques have known each other for a long time. Their friendship started in their childhood days in the Mediterranean. They were not real friends in these days, but there was something they both loved and used to do the whole day long: diving. One day Jacques' father, who was a diver too, died in the Mediterranean sea. After that incident Enzo and Jacques lost contact. After several years, Enzo and Jacques had grown up, Johanna, a young clerk in a security office, has to go to Peru. There she meets Jacques who works for a group of scientists. He dives for some minutes into ice-cold water and the scientists monitor his physical state that is more like a dolphin's than a human's. Johanna can not believe what she sees and gets very interested in Jacques but she's unable to get acquainted with him. Some weeks later, back in her office, she notices a championship for divers that is supposed to take place in Taormina, Italy. In order to see Jacques again she makes up a story so the firm sends her to Italy for business purposes. In Taormina there is also Enzo, the reigning diving world champion. He knows that only Jacques can challenge and probably beat him. This time Johanna and Jacques get closer, but Jacques, being more a dolphin than a man, can not really commit and his rivalry with Enzo pushes both men into dangerous territory...

Director: Luc Besson

Writers: Luc Besson (story), Luc Besson (screenplay)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095250/

Liban, le pays du miel et de l'encens / 1988

Fournier, a doctor, arrives in Beirut, having previously practised in Paris. He is met by Morin, another doctor who is disillusioned with the situation in Beirut and wishes to return to Paris.

Médecins des hommes (TV series 1988)

Director: Maroun Bagdadi

Writers: Maroun Bagdadi, Didier Decoin

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0655664/

Olympus Force: The Key (1988)

A group of terrorists hijack a bus in modern Greece. The gods intervene...

Directors: James Fortune, Robert Garofalo

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1964972/

Mangeclous (1988)

French/Israeli filmmaker Moshe Mizrahi wrote and directed this adapation of the fanciful comic novel by Albert Cohen. Set in 1938, it tells the farcical story of a band of five French speaking Greek Jews who seek to have their status as self-appointed ambassadors of a Palestinian Zionist state recognized by the League of Nations in Geneva. The five are played by veteran French comic actors Pierre Richard, Bernard Blier, Jacques Villeret, Jacques Dufilho and Jean-Luc Bideau. The film follows their rambling odyssey from their native Greek island to Marseilles to Geneva, where they involve a Polish Jewish immigrant (played by actor/singer Charles Aznavour in their scheme.

Director: Moshé Mizrahi

Writers: Moshé Mizrahi, Albert Cohen (novel)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095582/

Ο Παράδεισος ανοίγει με αντικλείδι - Flying Ants / 1987

In Athens during the 1950s, two children meet an acrobat (Ian Dury) and his assistant, who make their living doing dangerous stunts. When the assistant is arrested, the children decide to help the acrobat rescue her. The police chase them, but they manage to escape thanks to the acrobat’s balloon. 

Director: Vasilis Boudouris

Writers: Vasilis Boudouris, Petros Tatsopoulos

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180038/

Η Φωτογραφία - La Photo / 1987

Un film qui mêle les genres : sur fond politique (le régime militaire des colonels dans la Grèce de 1971, et la difficulté d'intégration des immigrés à Paris), c'est une comédie de mœurs en même temps qu'un suspense tragique et une allégorie poétique.

L'argument en est simple : Ilyas, qui a quitté la Grèce qui est alors sous le régime des Colonels, fait tomber la photo d'une chanteuse et dit à son cousin que c'est sa sœur. Gérassimos tombe amoureux de la photo, et Ilyas pousse jusqu'au bout ce mensonge avec beaucoup de mauvaise conscience, car il s'est mis à aimer passionnément son cousin.

Une amitié-passion entre le jeune Ilyas et son cousin « parisien » Gérassimos, qui se développe sur fond de trahison, et ne peut qu'aboutir au drame :  

Amitié-passion entre deux hommes, sorte d'homosexualité sans sexe, retardement infini de l'orgasme pris de vitesse par le mécanisme tragique, "La Photo" va plus loin que la simple idée de sexe suggérée par le mot homosexualité, peut-être justement parce que le film ne montre pas de sexe.

Tuer par amour

L'amitié que porte Ilyas pour Gérassimos contient en elle le germe de la trahison. Le jeune trahit moins par volonté délibérée de trahison qu'en raison de l'intervention du destin, donc d'un élément qui lui échappe. Il y a cette photo qui occasionne un petit mensonge, sur lequel il lui est désormais impossible de revenir. Il est pris alors entre l'amour réel qu'il porte à cet homme et l'impossibilité de lui révéler sa trahison. Quant au personnage féminin du trio de "La Photo", il est mythique, il représente une sorte d'idéal de la féminité pour lequel Gérassimos s'est enflammé. Et c'est pour que Gérassimos ne soit pas déçu par la réalité, qu'Ilyas, par amour, provoquera sa mort.

Director: Nikos Papatakis

Writer: Nikos Papatakis

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093733/

WATCH THE FILM ON LINE AT YOUTUBE:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cErmrI7wXs

L'arbre sous la mer (1985)

Mathieu, un jeune géologue, d'esprit très cartésien, se rend sur une petite île grecque pour y étudier les arbres pétrifiés. Cette île n'est habitée que par un pêcheur et sa fille, étrange personnage qui passe sa vie dans la mer et prétend y rencontrer un être avec lequel elle se sent en parfaite harmonie : un dauphin. Peu à peu, sous l'effet de la magie de l'île, Mathieu abandonne son assurance et ses certitudes. Lentement, cette envoûtante fille de l'eau va l'attirer dans son monde.

 

Director: Philippe Muyl

Writers: Philippe Muyl, Nikos Athanassiadis (novel)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088733/

Το Στίγμα - The Stigma 1982

A young couple (Antonis Kafetzopoulos and Olia Lazaridou) have a baby affected with the Down Syndrome. In order to avoid the difficulties entailed in bringing a child that will never live a normal life, they decided to put an end to its life. That is illegal and the doctors don't take such a renponsibilty. Eventually, the couple with the aid of the girl's mother (Ntina Konsta) will feed the baby with water instead of milk, untill it dies. Their deed will not be noticed but their relationship will never be the same. Finally they will be divorced.

Director: Pavlos Tasios

Writer: Pavlos Tasios

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267954/

WATCH ON LINE AT YOUTUBE:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4cY3JJFies

Επικινδυνο Παιχνιδι - Epikindyno paihnidi / 1982

Ένας νεαρός άντρας, ο Κώστας ενώ κάνει διακοπές στη Μυτιλήνη, γνωρίζει την Άννα, μια όμορφη γερμανίδα, σύζυγος ενός πλούσιου έλληνα επιχειρηματία. Ένα βράδυ η Άννα θα περάσει τη νύχτα στο ξενοδοχείο του Κώστα, κι ενώ ο Κώστας κοιμάται, πέρνει το κλειδί του και φεύγει. Την άλλη μέρα τη βρίσκουν νεκρή, ενώ σύντομα θα συλλάβουν τον Κώστα.

Director: Giorgos Karypidis

Writers: Vangelis Goufas (dialogue), Giorgos Karypidis

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252872/

WATCH THE FILM ON LINE, AT VEOH:  http://www.veoh.com/watch/v20938378fnAaAe6c?h1=%CE%95%CF%80%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%B4%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%BF+%CE%A0%CE%B1%CE%B9%CF%87%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B9

The Search for Alexander the Great 1981

1981 miniseries, hosted by James Mason. Starring Nicholas Clay as Alexander the Great and Ian Charleson as Hephaistion.

There are four episodes and, while the historical details of the background are given by James Mason as narrator, the story of Alexandros is told by the people who loved him and were loved by him (Olympias, Ptolemy, Hephaestion, Philip, Cleitus, Aristotle, Bagoas) and by the defeated king Darius: they are gathered together  - dead and alive - for a banquet and they discuss Alexandros' life from their different points of view. The show is very enjoyable and the historical details are always correct. Nicolas Clay (who was a wonderful Lancelot in "Excalibur") is a great Alexandros and he looks very much like Richard Burton who, in my opinion, despite that awful movie, was perfect as Alexandros. Ian Charleson is a great actor (I remember him as Fortinbras in "Hamlet" with Derek Jacobi) but his Hephaestion doesn't persuade me enough, can't explain why, it's jus a feeling, even if the relationship with Alexandros is correctly portrayed, no modern vision of it. Jane Lapotaire (Mary Tudor in "Lady Jane") is a passionate and strong Olympias, Julian Glover a powerful Philip and Gabriel Byrne is very wise as Ptolemy.

DIRECTOR:PETER SYKES

SCRIPWRITER: GEORGE LEFFERTS, SIMON RAVEN 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343302/

ΙΣΤΟΡΙΕΣ ΜΙΑΣ ΚΕΡΗΘΡΑΣ - STORIES OF A HONEYCOMB / 1981

This film presents the daily routine, the alienation and conventionality of a group of actors and other people in the film industry.

  

Director: Nikos Vergitsis

Writer: Nikos Vergitsis

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262511/

TO ΕΡΓΟΣΤΑΣΙΟ - THE FACTORY / 1981

Giorgos Papyros, a tanner in the countryside, is trying really hard to rescue his small industry, in a rather hard time for small businesses. Giorgos is hoping to get a bank loan, but his request is rejected. So, he turns to a successful emigrant, Apostolis, who wants to marry his daughter, Valentini, who dreams of being an actress. However, this time, it’s his daughter who turns him down, not wanting to get married to someone she doesn’t love- especially after being raped. The poor businessman has nothing but debts, and he has no choice but to become, just like his son, a worker at the nearby factory, whose welfare is also uncertain. 

Director: Tasos Psarras

Writers: Tasos Psarras, Lazaros Pavlidis (novel)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083896/

ΜΠΕΤΤΥ - BETTY / 1979 (short)

Η ταινία κρύβεται πίσω από ένα μακιγιαρισμένο πρόσωπο που μιμείται και συντηρεί τη μυθολογία της βαμπ αφηγείται το 24ωρο ενός τραβεστί, της Μπέττυ. Ο θεατής βλέπει πόση οδύνη και πόση μοναξιά μπορεί να... 

Director: Dimitris Stavrakas

Writer: Dimitris Stavrakas

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185345/

DOCVILLE 2011 / TV Series / DEMO/ English

LIFE IN CONTEMPORARY GREECE
DOCVILLE 2011 / TV Series / 13 documentaries * 45mm
Markos Gastin: Producer

Directors:
Katerina Patroni,
Elias Giannakakis,
Eva Stefani,
Yiannis Misourides,
Alexandre Papanicolaou & Emilie Yannoukou,
Elias Demetriou
Angelos Kovotsos & Natassa Xydi,
Kalliopi Legaki
Stavros Psyllakis,
Gerasimos Rigas
Chronis Theocharis,
Mariana Ikonomou.

THEMIS (ΘΕΜΙΣ) (2007) (Documentary)

THEMIS (ΘΕΜΙΣ) 2007 - Documentary
One in every ten Greek citizens goes to court at least once a year. Therefore, filming the courts not only provides a portrait of local justice but also portrays Greek society. This is the documentary's wager. This is the first time a camera enters the Athens Court of First Instance and records civil and penal trials.

Producer, Director: Markos  GASTINE

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1207778/

WATCH ON LINE AT YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGPR4Qf9LnA