Theodore Georgakelos (right), Greece's ambassador to China, speaks at the opening ceremony of a retrospective of films by Greek-Cypriot filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis on Thursday, October 11, 2012. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Xu Fei]
A weeklong retrospective of films by Greek-Cypriot filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis opened Thursday at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing as part of the activities celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Greece and China.
Theodore Georgakelos, Greece's ambassador to China, spoke at the retrospective's opening ceremony and said he believed such cultural exchanges could better cement friendly relations between the countries, as film is one of the most efficient, modern ways of cultural expression.
Michael Cacoyannis was a prominent Greek-Cypriot film director who was born in 1922 in Limassol, Cyprus, and best known for his 1964 film "Zorba the Greek." During the weeklong event, "Zorba the Greek" will be screened.
According to Georgakelos, the filmmaker distinguished himself mainly by adapting classic literature to cinema. Cacoyannis died last year in Athens at the age of 89.
Other films to be screened in the coming week are "Stella," "Girl in Black," "Electra," "The Trojan Women," "Iphigenia" and "The Cherry Orchard."