America America

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America America

"Elia Kazan gives a penetrating, thorough and profoundly affecting account of the hardships endured and surmounted at the turn of the century by a young Greek lad in attempting to fulfill his cherished dream --- getting to America…” - Variety

America America is an historic epic which centres on the journey of an innocent young man, Stavros Topouzoglou, from Asia Minor to America at the beginning of the twentieth century. Stavros is raised in a village in Anatolia where Greeks and Armenians live side by side, suffering random attacks, murders, beatings and raids. Stavros is sent to Constantinople when a friend is murdered by the Turks. However Stavros dreams of living in the land of freedom and opportunity – America.
      Stavros journeys to Constantinople where he is exposed to the harsher realities of life – unemployment, homelessness, muggings, murder and prostitutes. Determined to get to America, Stavros swindles his fiancée Thomna of her dowry and buys himself a third class ticket on a steamship to America. The end of a torrid on-board romance and the threat of deportation dog Stavros. When an Armenian shoe shine boy jumps ship in New York and drowns, Stavros seizes the opportunity to assume his identity. He clears Immigration with a new name and a job and succeeds in bringing his family to America. Kazan’s ode to early twentieth century migration to America is a tribute to courage, determination and the power of dreams.

Director: Elia Kazan | Rating: R 18+ | 1963 | Drama | 174 minutes | English

Director's Bio - Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan is one of the leading, and most controversial, figures in twentieth century American arts and culture, having enjoyed a successful career as a theatre director, film director and writer. Born in Constantinople in 1909, his family migrated to the United States in 1913. He graduated from Williams College and studied drama at Yale. In 1930 he became involved with New York’s influential Group Theatre which pioneered the Stanislavsky method of acting. Kazan enjoyed a successful career as a theatre director, winning three Tony Awards in the 1940s and 1950s, directing plays such as Tennessee Williams’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ and was a co-founder of the influential Actors Studio drama school. His career as a film director spanned 40 years and 21 films. Seven of his films received among them 25 Academy Awards, including Oscars for Best Direction (A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront) and Best Film (Gentleman’s Agreement, On The Waterfront) as well as awards at both the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals. He was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Directors Guild of America in 1987, and at the 1999 Academy Awards. In later life he enjoyed a successful career as an author, writing seven novels as well as his autobiography. Elia Kazan passed away in September 2003 at the age of 94.

PRINCIPAL CAST

Stathis Giallelis, Frank Wolff, Elen Karam, Lou Antoniou, John Marley, Estelle Hemsley, Katherine Balfour, Harry Davis, George Foundas, Joanna Frank, Robert H. Harris, Salem Ludwig, Paul Mann, Linda Marsh, Gregory Rozakis, Dimos Starenios.

AWARDS

Art Direction – winner, Gene Callahan - 1963 Academy Awards U.S.
National Film Registry - Winner, 2001 Library of Congress
Best Director – nominee, Elia Kazan - 1963 Directors Guild of America
Best Picture - Drama – nominee - 1963 Golden Globe
Best Actor - Drama – nominee, Stathis Giallelis - 1963 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actor – nominee, Paul Mann - 1963 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actor – nominee, Gregory Rozakis - 1963 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actress – nominee, Linda Marsh - 1963 Golden Globe
New Star of the Year – Male – winner, Stathis Giallelis - 1963 Golden Globe
Best Director – winner, Elia Kazan - 1963 Golden Globe
Motion Picture Promoting International Understanding – nominee, 1963 Golden Globe Best Black and White
Best Director – nominee, Elia Kazan - 1963 Academy Awards
Best Original Screenplay – nominee, Elia Kazan - 1963 Academy Awards
Best Picture – nominee - 1963 Academy Awards

DIRECTOR's – PREVIOUS FILMS

1976 The Last Tycoon

1972 The Visitors

1969 The Arrangement
Best Foreign Film, Spanish Cinema Writers Circle Awards

1961 Splendor in the Grass
Best Screenplay, Academy Awards

1960 Wild River

1957 A Face in the Crowd

1956 Baby Doll
Best Film, British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Most Promising Newcomer, British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Best Director, Golden Globe Awards
Best Actor, Golden Globe Awards
Best Actress, Golden Globe Awards

1955 East of Eden

1954 On the Waterfront
Silver Loin, Venice Film Festival
Italian Film Critics Award, Venice Film Festival
OCIC Award, Venice Film Festival
Best Film, British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Best Actor, British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Best Picture, Academy Awards
Best Director, Academy Awards
Best Actor, Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actress, Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor, Academy Awards
Best Cinematography, Academy Awards
Best Screenplay, Academy Awards
Best Art Direction, Academy Awards
Best Film Editing, Academy Awards
Best Motion Picture, Golden Globe Awards
Best Director, Golden Globe Awards
Best Actor, Golden Globe Awards
Best Cinematography, Golden Globe Awards
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Directors Guild of America
Best Picture, National Board of Review
Best Film, New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Director, New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Actor, New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Drama, Writers’ Guild of America

1953 Man on a Tightrope

1952 Viva Zapata!
Best Actor, Cannes Film Festival
Best Actor, Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor, Academy Awards
Best Art Direction, Academy Awards
Best Foreign Actor, British Academy of Film and Television Arts

1951 A Streetcar Named Desire
Special Jury Prize, Venice Film Festival
Best Actress, Venice Film Festival
Best Director, Academy Awards
Best Actress, Academy Awards
Best Actor, Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actress, Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor, Academy Awards
Best Cinematography, Academy Awards
Best Art Direction, Academy Awards
Best Costume Design, Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe Awards
Best British Actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Diploma of Merit for Foreign Actor, Jussi Awards (Finland)
Best Film, New York Film Critics Circle
Best Director, New York Film Critics Circle
Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

1950 Panic in the Streets
International Award, Venice Film Festival
Best Writing, Best Motion Picture Story, Academy Awards

1949 Pinky

1947 Gentleman's Agreement
Best Picture, Academy Awards
Best Director, Academy Awards
Best Actress in Supporting Role, Academy Awards
Best Motion Picture – Drama, Golden Globe Awards
Best Director, Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe Awards
Best Juvenile Actor, Golden Globe Awards
Best Director, National Board of Review
Best Direction, New York Film Critics Circle
Best Film, New York Film Critics Circle

1947 The Sea of Grass

1947 Boomerang!
Best Director, National Board of Review
Best Direction, New York Film Critics Award

1945 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Best Actor in Supporting Role, Academy Awards

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