Introduction

“Kavafis” is a 1996 Greek film drama based on the life and work of Greek poet Konstantinos Kavafis (Constantine P. Cavafy, 1863-1933) written and directed by Yannis Smaragdis and with an original score by Vangelis. Released in Greek cinemas on the 12th of September 1996, the film participated in many international film festivals in 1996 and 1997. The film won five awards including ‘Best Feature Film’ at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, and Vangelis’ score won the Best Soundtrack-award at film festivals in Gent and Valencia. In the end titles the film is dedicated to Vangelis, whose moody score contributes immensely to the film's ambiance.

Unfortunately the evocative music that Vangelis composed for Kavafis was never officially released, apart from a theme heard at the opening of the film, which was included on the compilation album “Odyssey The Definitive Collection” (2003). A bootleg CD exists that simply presents the audio from the film as a soundtrack.

After its theatrical release the film was released on home video in Greece only, first on a scarce rental VHS video, but fortunately in 2005 also on DVD. If in need of a copy of the film the DVD is recommended for its decent audio and video quality, even though it only features Greek subtitles. A promotional DVD was issued for cast & crew which did include English subtitles, but due to its limited nature this version is a rare find.

The film ends with Kavafis’ poem “Ithaca”, the same poem that inspired Vangelis to create a composition in 2004 with a recital by actor Sean Connery. In 2007 Vangelis and Yannis Smaragdis would collaborate again, this time on the film “El Greco”, about the life and work of the Greek painter Domenikos Theotocopoulos, a theme that Vangelis earlier also explored in his albums “Foros Timis Ston Greko” (1995) and "El Greco" (1998).

About the film Vangelis stated: 'The gift of creative geniuses, depending on their means of expression is that they always understand us even when we don't understand them. This is true of Cavafy, who has the gift of understanding us through his poems. It is this indelible Greek that Yannis Smaragdis wanted to honor with respect, and not to interpret him. This is not a film biography of the poet, but a taste of moments that are enough for us to feel the rest inside us. The conditions created by Yannis Smaragdis were such that each of us was able to offer his love to this unique poet. So, I too had the opportunity of coming even closer to the life, the soul and the scent of Cavafy'.

Details and credits

• Title: Kavafis (Cavafy)
• Year: 1996
• Country: Greece
• Length: 75 minutes
• Format: 35 mm
• Directed by Yannis Smaragdis.
• Music by Vangelis Papathanassiou.
• Assistant directors: Yannis Antonakos, George Daoularis and Emmanuel Tselentakis.
• Screenplay by Yannis Smaragdis, Dimitris Nollas, Stelios Rogakos, and Dimitris Katalifos.
• Cinematography: Nikos Smaragdis
• Sets and costumers by Damianos Zarifis.
• Choreography: Sofia Spyratou.
• Sound mixer: Nikos Despotidis.
• Edited by Yannis Tsitsopoulos.
• Executive Producer: Helene Smaragdis
• Produced by Alexandros Film, Greek Film Centre, Greek Television ET-1 and Talos.

Cast

• Dimitris Katalifos - Konstantinos Kavafis
• Vasilis Diamantopoulos - Kavafis, old man
• Maya Lymberopoulou - Hariklia Kavafis
• Lazaros Georgakopoulos - biographer
• Alexandros Koukos
• Vasilis Seimenis
• Yiannis Rigas
• Maria Katsiadaki
• Manos Meletiou - Mavroudis
• Vangelis Theodoropoulos
• Georgios Moshidis - doctor
• Vasilis Andreopoulos - Georgios Fotiadis
• Christos Ninis
• Babis Giotopoulos
• Julia Souglakou
• Mirto Alikaki
• Zannino
• Lakis Lazopoulos
• Alexis Damianos - photographer

Media

DVD

• 2004 Alexandros Film Greece (limited promotional 2DVD boxset with English, French, German and Spanish subtitles)
• 2005 Odeon 572042 (2DVD boxset with Greek subtitles)

VHS

• 1998 Telefilm Hellas NS 10343 Greece

Synopsis

In 1933, the great Greek poet Constantine Cavafy (Dimitris Katalifos) is hospitalized in Alexandria. There, on his birthday, the 29th April, he is visited by a young writer who is preparing a study of the life and work of the poet and wants Cavafy’s approval before he publishes it. As the young man begins to read out what he has written, the poet becomes lost in his memories, through which the events which have left their mark on his life unfold.

Born in Alexandria he grew up in the shadow of his mother (Maya Lymperopoulou) who loved him dearly. They lived a comfortable life until the day of the Arab uprising, which forced them to flee to Constantinople. In Constantinople, Cavafy learns from his grandfather the long history of his family. At the same time he is initiated into the night life of the city. The all-pervasive eroticism of Constantinople is to be permanently etched in his memory and will lead him to his personal sexual preferences.

When he returns to Alexandria, his family has lost everything and Cavafy is forced to get a job with the British Irrigation Service in order to earn his living. At nights he leads a different life - and through everything, he writes. The death of his mother crushes him but it also sets him free. He travels to Greece. In Athens he moves in literary circles. His acquaintance with the young poet Mavroudis makes a deep impression on him. He writes. Mavroudis' rejection of the insistent attentions of the poet, who is now deeply in love with him, drives the poet to acts of desperation. The memory of these events brings the gravely ill poet closer to death.

In a final fantasy 'memory', he sees himself visited by all the youthful figures he has hymned in his poetry. They are whispering his own lines to him. It is with this glorious image of beautiful young men that the poet leaves his life on earth, and passes into immortality.

Links

• Vangeliscollector.com
• IMDB.com
• Alexandrosfilm.com
• Wikipedia.org
• Trailer
• Kavafis:
   Youtube.com (no subtitles)
   Rarefilm.com (english subtitles)
  
  

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