Ο Βυσσινόκηπος
O Vissinokipos

A tribute to the centenary of Chekhov's death The Cherry Orchard is about a 19th century Russian family's decaying aristocratic status. The family matriarch returns from a five year absence to find the cherry orchard in full bloom but the family finances on the verge of ruin. One solution is to cut down the beloved orchard and lease the land for holiday villas. As summer approaches, and romance blooms, the moment of truth approaches…

1999/ Drama / Rating:R18 / Adaptation: Michael Cacoyannis

Full detail:

Set in Russia at the turn of the century, The Cherry Orchard chronicles a noblewoman's return to her family estate after a five-year absence to escape troubling memories her son's death. Lyubov Ranevskaya (Rampling) arrives home to find the famous cherry orchard in full bloom, but the finances of the estate on the verge of ruin. Lyubov and her brother Gaev (Bates) find themselves scrambling to retain a vision of gentility amidst a climate of huge social and economic transition.
SOURCE: Website of The Cherry Orchard http://www.kino.com/cherryorchard/

"Essential viewing for lovers of Chekhov. What makes this Cherry Orchard different is Charlotte Rampling's extrodinarily rich potrait…a compelling, even dangerous performance, Alan Bates' Gaev is pitch perfect…A bittersweet meditation on the high cost of self-delusion."
Steven Holden NEW YORK TIMES

A Film adaption of Anton Chekhov's masterwork The Cherry Orchard

Starring

Charlotte Rampling and Alan Bates

A tribute to the centenary of Chekhov's death The Cherry Orchard is about a 19th century Russian family's decaying aristocratic status. The family matriarch returns from a five year absence to find the cherry orchard in full bloom but the family finances on the verge of ruin. One solution is to cut down the beloved orchard and lease the land for holiday villas. As summer approaches, and romance blooms, the moment of truth approaches…

Winner - 4 Greek State Film Awards, 1999 Thessaloniki International Film Festival

Cast: Charlotte Rampling (Lyubov), Alan Bates (Gaev), Katrin Cartlidge (Varya), Owen Teale (Lopahin), Tushka Bergen (Anya), Xander Berkeley (Epihodov), Gerald Butler (Yasha), Andrew Howard (Trofimov), Melanie Lynskey (Dunyasha), Ian McNeice (Pishchik), Frances De la Tour (Charlotta), Michael Gough (Feers)

Other credits:

Script: Michael Cacoyannis
Based on: Anton Chekhov
Cinematography: Aris Stavrou
Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky
Editing: Michael Cacoyannis, Takis Chatzis
Sound Mix: Costas Varibopiotis
Art Director: Dionyssis Fotopoulos
Costume Design: Jane Hamilton
Music consultant: Dimitris Papadimitriou
Piano solo: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Sound Recording: Alexander Bachvarov
Sound editor: Leslie Wiggins
Executive in charge of production: Yannoula Wakefield, Alexander Metodiev
Make-up artist: Joan Hills
With the participation of: Greek Film Centre, ERT SA Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Canal +
Production supervisor: Pepita Arvaniti
Production: Michael Cacoyannis, Melanda Film Productions, Amanda Productions, Films de l' Astre
Sponsors: Stelios & Elli Iannou, Alexander Onassis Benefit Foundation, Athenian Brewery, The Government of Cyprus

Awards:

40th Thessaloniki Film Festival 1999
Best Cinematography (Aris Stavrou)
Best Set Design (Dionyssis Fotopoulos)
Best Costume Design (Dionyssis Fotopoulos)
Greek Union of Film and TV Technicians Award

Michael Cacoyannis:

Born in Limassol, Cyprus on 11 June 1922. He is the eldest son of Sir Panayotis and Lady Cacoyannis. After finishing the Greek gymnasium he studied law in England and was called to the Bar (Barrister-at-law) in 1943. He studied acting at the Central School of Dramatic Art in London (1944) and directing at the Old Vic School (1946). During the war he worked for the BBC (Greek service) first as a news announcer and then as a producer of cultural programmes until 1951. Cacoyannis made his debut as an actor in London in 1947, playing Herod in Oscar Wilde's "Salome". He appeared in several plays during the next three years (George Bernard Shaw's "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" with Flora Robson, "The Purple Fig Tree: with Jack Hawkins), most notably playing the lead in Albert Camus' "Caligula" (1949). He moved to Athens in 1952 having decided to give up acting and concentrate on directing for the screen as well as the stage. HONOURS Order of the Golden Phoenix (Greece) Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (France) Doctor of Arts (Columbia College, Chicago) Honorary Citizen (Limassol, Cyprus) Honorary Citizen (Montpellier, France) Honorary Citizen (Dallas, Texas) Life Achievement Award (Thessaloniki Film Festival 1995) Honored by the Greek Academy with its highest award for national services (1995) THEATRE In Greece: From 1954 to the present (with the exception of a seven-year voluntary absence from the country because of the military dictatorship) he directed many plays of the classical and modern repertoire which included "A Woman of No Importance" by Oscar Wilde (1954), "Plaza Suite" by Neil Simon, "The Rainmaker" by Richard Nash (1956), "Quality Street" by J. M. Barrie (1956), "Beautiful City", a musical by Mikis Theodorakis (1962), "Gigi" by Colette, "Madame Marguerite" by R. Athayde (1974), "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams (1977), "Antony and Cleopatra" by William Shakespeare (1979) starring Irene Papas, "The Three Sisters" by Anton Chekhov (1981), "Electra" by Sophocles (1983) starring Irene Papas, "Let us dress the Naked" by Luigi Pirandello (1989) and "The Trojan Women" by Euripides (1995). Elsewhere: "The Trojan Women" by Euripides (at the Spoleto Festival in Italy in 1963, in New York in 1964 and at the TNP, Palais de Chaillot in France in 1965, adaptation by Jean Paul Sartre), "Things That Go Bump In The Night" in New York, "The Devils" by John Witing, starring Anne Bancroft and Jason Robards in New York (1966), "Iphigenia in Aulis" by Euripides starring Irene Papas in New York (1968), "An evening with works by Becket and Billetdoux" at the Spoleto Festival (1968), "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare at the TNP in France (1968), "Lysistrata" by Aristophanes starring Melina Mercouri in New York (1972), "King Oedipus" by Sophocles at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and at the Edinburgh Festival (1973), "Bacchae" by Euripides at the Comedie Francaise in Paris (1977) and in New York (1981) starring Irene Papas and the musical "Zorba" starring Anthony Quinn in New York (1983-1986) OPERA "Mourning Becomes Electra" by Marvin David Levy at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1967), Puccini's "La Boheme" at the Julliard, Lincoln Center, New York (1972), Verdi's "La Traviata", Athens National Opera (1982), Gluck's "Iphigenie en Aulide" and "Iphigenie en Tauride" at the Frankfurt State Opera (1987), Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito" at the Aix-en-Provence Music Festival in 1989 and in Athens in 1994, Cherubini's "Medea" at the Athens Music Palace (1995). PUBLICATIONS In Greek: Translations of three Shakespearean tragedies: "Antony and Cleopatra" (Cactus Publishers, 1979), "Hamlet" (Kastaniotis Publishers, 1985) and "Coriolanus" (Kastaniotis Publishers, 1990). "In Other Words", a collection of essays (1990), "Stella", a screenplay (Kastaniotis Publishers, 1990), Euripides' "The Trojan Women" into modern Greek (1995). In English: "The Trojan Women", the screenplay (Bantam Books, New York, 1971), "The Bacchae", Introduction to and translation of the Euripides play (New York Library, 1982).

Filmography:

1954 WINDFALL IN ATHENS
1955 STELLA
1956 A GIRL IN BLACK
1958 A MATTER OF DIGNITY
1960 OUR LAST SPRING
1962 ELECTRA
1964 ZORBA THE GREEK
1967 THE DAY THE FISH CAME OUT
1971 THE TROJAN WOMEN
1974 ATTILA '74
1974 THE STORY OF JACOB AND JOSEPH (telefilm)
1976 IPHIGENIA
1986 SWEET COUNTRY
1992 UP, DOWN AND SIDEWAYS
1999 THE CHERRY ORCHARD

Reviews:

Full Review by KENNETH TURAN, Los Angeles Times 
http://www.delawareonline.com/entertainment/movies/movie_reviews/revu1033.html

Full Review by Stephen Holden, The New York Times http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=181379

Wendy Weinstein, Film Journal International - http://filmjournal.com/Article.cfm/PageID/60859601

Web links:

"Official" site for video - with comments from director and lead actors at http://www.kino.com/cherryorchard/

For more info and to view video trailor 
http://www.gfc.gr/3/31/film.asp?id=51