Angelopoulos trained as a lawyer before attending IDHEC and began his film career as a critic. His early work as a director was largely historically based and includes a trilogy ("Days of '36" 1972, "Voyage of the Comedians" 1975, "The Hunters" 1977) which chronicles the history of Greece from the mid-1930s onward. His later work, better known internationally, draws more on ancient history and myth but retains a key political dimension.
"Voyage to Cythera" (1984) is a poignant, exquisitely composed drama about an aging exile who returns to Greece--it earned a best original screenplay award at Cannes for Angelopoulos and co-writers Tonino Guerra and Theo Valtinos; "The Beekeeper" (1986) features a landmark performance from Marcello Mastroianni as a gloomy, retired teacher who picks up an enigmatic hitchhiker during a road trip. Angelopoulos is a major director with a distinctive vision and a finely honed style who has been sadly neglected by most American critics.
- Also Credited As:
Theodoros Angelopoulos, Theodoros Anghelopoulos
- Born:
April 27, 1935 in Athens, Greece
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Job Titles:
Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Actor, Film critic, Author, Lawyer, Poet
Family
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Father: Spyridon Angelopoulos.
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Mother: Katerina Angelopoulos.
Education
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Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinematographiques, Paris, France
Milestones
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1959 Served in Greek military
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1962 Moved to Paris, briefly attended Sorbonne, then IDHEC, and after expulsion worked at Musee de l Homme under tutelage of ethnographer/filmmaker Jean Rouch; completed 16mm student film, a thriller, begun at IDHEC
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1963 Returned to Greece; worked as film critic for leftist Athens daily Dimokratiki Allaghi (1964-67) until paper shut down after Colonels coup
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1965 Began semi-documentary about a pop group, Forminx Story ; project abandoned after dispute with producer
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1968 Documentary short (28-minute) writing and directing debut, I Ekpombi/The Broadcast/The Transmission
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1970 Directed and wrote first black and white feature film, Anaparastassi/Reconstruction (was first collaboration with cinematographer George Arvanitis)
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Until 1960 worked as lawyer while also writing published verse, short stories and essays with a distinctive abstract modernist sensibility