#markopoulos

[neonrebels]

The Illiac Passion (1967), dir.  Gregory J. Markopoulos

[elladastinkardiamou]

Reading Greece: Giorgos Markopoulos on Poetry as a Landscape of the Soul and the Poet as a Person Defeated by Nature

Poet Giorgos Markopoulos (born 1951) is one of the most important representatives of the so-called generation of the 1970s, a literary term referring to Greek authors who began publishing their work during the early 1970s. He has published seven collections of poetry, a book of prose, two monographs (one on the work of Tasos Leivaditis and one on football in Greek poetry), while he has edited a number of books on Greek poetry as well.

In 1996 he was awarded the Cavafy Prize in Alexandria, Egypt and in 1999 the State Prize for Poetry for his collection Do not cover the river (Kedros, 1998). A selection of his work was also translated by Michel Volkovitch in French and published under the title Ne recouvre pas la riviere (Desmos / Cahiers grecs, Paris, 2000). In 2011 he was awarded the National Prize for Poetry for his collection Hidden Hunter and, in the same year he was honored with the Award of the Academy of Athens by the Foundation of Kostas and Eleni Ourani for his entire life's work. His work has been translated into English, French, Italian and Polish.

[affirmation--negation]

[thinkingthinking]

[jockrivette]

[...] And the hand undulated before the waves of Light

Introducing man to creation.

— Gregory J. Markopoulos, Chaos Phaos

[jockrivette]

To describe what he has been accomplishing, even before he himself has seen privately his film rushes, is unthinkable. I, as a filmmaker, observing Venus' latest born, can only suggest and suggest, I am certain, inaccurately. A filmmaker can never understand during the filming, especially, what another filmaker is doing. The reason for this being simply put, that the filmmaker observing the film being made, at every turn and twist that the head, elbows, shoulders and legs of the filmmaker at work make, knows he would do it differently; desires to do it differently; almost urges the filmmaker at work to do it differently. The state of the filmmaker observing the filmmaker at work is no different in its temptations than those of Orphée leading Eurydice Out of Hades. That the fade-out device in his hand becomes as light as the play of dolphins; that his use of the very limited Bolex filter slot 3 is put to such extraordinary use that another filmmaker, observing, feels certain he doesn't know what he is doing; that his instructions and use of an individual is as unknown as unchartered waters; that the certainties and uncertainties of the dialogue he has made on Hydra will hopefully be as daring as the leaps of young men across the backs of charging bulls seen on Mycenean Warrior Vases; that his use of superimpositions will hopefully defy the brilliance of the Greek atmosphere; that the use of black background, his own private celestial manner with its drops of water will create certain crystallizations upon his handsome head akin to the athlete's olive branch.

Any film account if it does not completely satisfy the curiosity of the reader or expectant film spectator should atleast offer one specific detail. In this case let it be the name of the filmmaker: Robert Beavers

14th of July, 1967

Patmos

— Gregory J. Markopoulos, Chaos Phaos

[millenniumfilmjnl]

Millennium Film Journal No. 32/33 “Beavers • Markopoulos” (1998). First MFJ color pages (two). A few copies are still available at mfj-online.org/issues. #mfjbackissue #millenniumfilmjournal #robertbeavers #markopoulos

[millenniumfilmjnl]

Millennium Film Journal No. 32/33 “Beavers • Markopoulos” (1998). First MFJ color pages (two). A few copies are still available at mfj-online.org/issues. #mfjbackissue #millenniumfilmjournal #robertbeavers #markopoulos