The award-winning director Yannis Smaragdis returns with his new movie which honors the most important Greek writer and thinker Nikos Kazantzakis. The premiere will take place on Thursday 23 November 2017 in cinemas across the country.

Focusing on the Greek light, the senses and colors of another era, and Kazantzakis’ perpetual Greek speech, the new portrait of Yannis Smaragdis outlines the greatest Greek writer after Homer, backed by a glittering cast of protagonists.

The long awaited new film has already received positive impressions and there is much anticipation for her screening in cinemas. Ecumenical writer Nikos Kazantzakis said that his life is defined by his travels and dreams. These tracks were followed in the film and after a thrilling 6-month shooting trip to Crete, Athens, Aegina, South France, Berlin and Vienna.

The central character Nikos Kazantzakis is played by Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos and the Marina Kalogirou is his partner Eleni. The eight-year-old Alexandros Kambasis is Nikos Kazantzakis at an early age, while Stefanos Linnaios plays the writer at a mature age.

A number of distinguished actors surround the protagonists. Argyris Xafis plays the father of Kazantzakis and Maria Skoulas his mother. Angelos Sikelianos is embodied by Nikos Kardonis, his wife Eva is Amalia Arseni, Ika is played by Yulica Skafida, Zile Dessen is played by Alexander Kollatos, Melina Mercouri by Zeta Douka, Hailemaker is played by Adrian Frieling, Anthoula Katsimatides in the role of “Good Witch” and in the role of Dr. Stekel, a surprise appearance by Nikos Marinakos. Other worthy actors who take part in the film are Olga Damani and Ersi Malikenzou, Panos Skoraliakos, Takis Papamatthaiou, Loudovikos of Anogia, while Giorgis Zorbas is played by Thodoris Atheridis, and of course Stathis Psaltis’ amazing performance as Abbot of the Monastery of Sinai.

Apart from the director / screenwriter Yiannis Smaragdis, also participated in the making of the movie the producers Eleni Smaragdi and Alexander Smaragdis, the French co-producer Vincent Michaud, the director of photography Arias Stavrou, the music composer Minos Matsas, the costume designer Giorgos Patsas, the model Stella Filippopoulou, the sound engineer Aris Athanasopoulos.

The film was made thanks to the support of many and outstanding individuals and organizations. Co-producers of the film from Greece are Nova, the Greek Film Center, ERT and Nelly Katsou. It is worth mentioning that the film is a Greek-French co-production in collaboration with the French company 2017 Films.

The film’s script is based on the author’s book Greco Reference, which was published by Kazantzakis Publications.

The distribution of the film for Greece and Cyprus has been undertaken by the Greek Audio Visual S.A. Distribution Company, which also distributes the great commercial and artistic success of EL GRECO. The film is a tribute to NIKO KAZANTZAKI’s Great Awakening Writer, but also to the recently deceased Stathis Psaltis who made an unmistakable interpretation, leaving his latest artistic print to the film, just like our great actor Sotiris Moustakas in EL GRECO.

Watch the trailer -> kazantzakismovie.com