Madalena

Μανταλένα

Following her father’s death, the daughter of a poor fisherman tries to take over his fishing boat to support her six underage siblings. She is faced with the harsh rivalry of a handsome captain, whom she eventually falls in love with. The sea of Antiparos, which seems to gleam golden in Walter Lassaly’s black-and-white film, the music by Manos Hadjidakis, writing some of his best movie melodies, and, of course, Aliki Vougiouklaki, who instantly shot into the pantheon of Greek cinema with this film, are just a few of the reasons why Madalena has remained unsurpassed to this day.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.
Direction: Dinos Dimopoulos
Script: Yorgos Roussos
Cinematography: Walter Lassally
Editing: Yorgos Tsaoulis
Sound: Markos Zervas
Music: Manos Hadjidakis
Actors: Aliki Vougiouklaki, Dimitris Papamichael, Pantelis Zervos, Thodoros Moridis
Production: Finos Film
Sets: Markos Zervas
Make Up: Stavros Kelesidis
Format: ProRes
Color: B&W
Production Country: Greece
Production Year: 1960
Duration: 89΄
Contact: Finos Film
Awards/Distinctions: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay – Thessaloniki FF 1960

Dinos Dimopoulos

Born in 1921 in Palairos, Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece, he studied law at the University of Athens and acting at the Drama School of Giannoulis Sarantidis. Filmmaker, screenwriter, and author. During the early years of his career, he worked extensively in theater, at the beginning as an actor and later as a director of works by both Greek and international creators. When he started out in cinema, he was initially focused on photography, but then, Filopimin Finos encouraged him to take up directing because he could discern his introspective gaze through the lens, a fact that proved beneficial to Greek cinema as the talented filmmaker signed a dozen of iconic films of all genres, mostly with the film production company, Finos Films. His films stand out due to their harmonious combination of quality, aesthetics, and commercial value. His first great success in cinema, Astero (1959) was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and in 1993, it was selected and screened at the MoMA in New York as one of the 50 most representative folkloric films. Madalena (1960) was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Dimos Dimopoulos then went on to create legendary comedies, such as The Villa of Orgies, Miss Director, A Crazy... Crazy Family, Jenny Jenny, The Lady and the Tramp, ultimately creating a filmography with a total of more than 40 films. He was also recognized for his important literary contributions, which included publications for children in addition to the numerous screenplays he wrote. Furthermore, he was a professor at the Drama School of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the National Theatre. He died in 2003.

Filmography

(selected)
1953 Heaven Is Ours
1955 The Shepherdess’ Lover
1959 Astero
1960 The Underdog
1960 Madalena
1961 Liza and the Other Woman
1962 Thodoros and the Shotgun
1964 Miss Director
1965 A Crazy, Crazy Family
1966 Jenny Jenny
1967 Some Weary Lads
1968 An Italian from Kypseli
1968 The Lady and the Tramp
1969 The Teacher with the Golden Hair
1969 The Fairy and the Man
1971 The Daughter of the Sun
1983 The Craziest Guy in Greece
1993 The Little Dolphins