Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow

Τριλογία:Το Λειβάδι που Δακρύζει
Trilogia: To Livadi Pou Dakrizi

Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow is Theo Angelopoulos’ first feature since Eternity and a Day which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1998.

Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow is a visually poetic film rich in powerful imagery. It sees a bitter personal tragedy unfold against the major events in the turbulent period of the first half of the twentieth century. Eleni, born in Odessa at the time when the Red Army was rolling into the city, is adopted by a Greek family, which then flees to Greece and seeks refuge in an area near Thessaloniki. Here begins the love story between Eleni and her adoptive brother, Alexis. Although they have grown up together, their love goes against the wishes of Eleni’s adoptive father, the now widowed Spyros, who sees in her a suitable wife for himself. Eleni secretly gives birth to twin boys, fathered by Alexis, but gives them up for adoption in Thessaloniki. On the day that she is to marry Spyros, she and Alexis elope and leave the village for Thessaloniki, where they are reunited with their sons. They befriend Nikos, a fiddle player, who recognises Alexis' talent on the accordion. Years pass and Alexis, seeking a better life for his family, joins a group of musicians travelling to America. Eleni is left behind with their two sons. She is caught harbouring a fugitive after the uprising of 1936. Thrown in jail, she discovers upon her release some ten years later, that her sons have both been killed during the civil war, fighting on opposing sides. Eleni’s life follows the course set by her country’s ancient heroes – the struggle of the Seven Against Thebes – and like the Eleni of myth, she is pursued by love and pursues absolute love.

Director: Theo Angelopoulos | Rating: R 18+ | 2004 | Drama/Romance | 162 minutes | Greek dialogue with English subtitles

Director's Bio - Theo Angelopoulos

Theo Angelopoulos was born in Athens in 1935. He studied law at the University of Athens and film at the prestigious French film school, IDHEC. He worked for a period of time at the Musee de l'Homme under the tutelage of Jean Rouch, the ethnographer and pioneer of cinema verite film. He returned to Athens in 1964 and, until 1967, worked as a film critic. He turned to filmmaking in 1965 and since then his films have participated in countless international festivals and have won numerous awards that have established his reputation as one of the most influential directors in contemporary cinema. Major retrospectives honouring the work of Theo Angelopoulos have been held all over the world.

PRINCIPAL CAST

Alexandra Aidini, Nikos Poursanidis, Giorgos Armenis, Vassilis Kolovos, Eva Kotamanidou, Toula Stathopoulou, Michalis Yannatos, Thalia Argyriou, Grigoris Evangelatos

AWARDS

Critics’ Award at the European Film Academy Awards - 2004

DIRECTOR's – PREVIOUS FILMS

1965 FORMINX STORY (Unfinished)

1968 THE BROADCAST(Short)

1970 RECONSTRUCTION
Best Foreign Film at the Hyeres Film Festival (1971) Georges Sadoul Award (1971)

1972 DAYS OF '36
FIPRESCI Award, Berlin (1973)

1974-75 THE TRAVELLING PLAYERS
FIPRESCI Award, Cannes (1975),
Interfilm Award Berlin "Forum" (1975),
Best Film of the Year, British Film Institute (1976)
Italian Film Critics Association, Best Film in the world for the decade 1970-1980
FIPRESCI: One of the Top Films in the History of Cinema
Grand Prix of the Arts, Japan, Best Film of the Year, Japan
Golden Age Award, Brussels (1976)

1977 THE HUNTERS
Golden Hugo Award for Best Film, Chicago (1978)

1980 MEGALEXANDROS
Golden Lion and FIPRESCI Awards, Venice (1980)

1981 ONE VILLAGE, ONE VILLAGER (Documentary)

1983 ATHENS, RETURN TO THE ACROPOLIS (Television documentary)

1983 VOYAGE TO CYTHERA
Best Screenplay and FIPRESCI Awards, Cannes (1984)
Critics Award, Rio Film Festival

1986 THE BEE-KEEPER

1988 LANDSCAPE IN THE MIST
European Film of the Year Award (1989)
Silver Lion Award for Best Director, Venice (1988)
Golden Hugo Award for Best Director, Silver Plaque
for Best Cinematography, Chicago Film Festival

1991 THE SUSPENDED STEP OF THE STORK

1995 ULYSSES' GAZE
Special Jury and FIPRESCI Awards, Cannes (1995)
Critics' Felix for Best Film of the Year (1995)

1998 ETERNITY AND A DAY
Palme d’Or, 1998 Cannes Film Festival

2003 Trilogy – The Weeping Meadow

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL SCREENINGS

Berlinale 2004, 54th Berlin International Film Festival – Official Selection
Bergen International Film Festival 2004 (Norway) – Preview Programme
48th London Film Festival 2004
52nd Sydney Film Festival 2005
9th Sofia International Film Festival 2005
41st Chicago International Film Festival 2005


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