International radiation of his cinema Theodore Angelopoulos it’s one of those things that can’t be disputed. And it’s not just about Europe, which the Greek director has repeatedly won at festivals, culminating in the 1998 Palme d’Or for Eternity and a Day, but also about America, which is (theoretically) somewhat further away. to your cinema. These days and until December 18, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is “running” a big tribute to Theodore Angelopoulos, hosted by the UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s Center for Greek Cultural Studies.

A retrospective called Landscapes of Time presented at the Billy Wilder Cinema, named after the legendary American artist, includes just about everything: the Greek director’s entire feature filmography plus some select shorts such as 1983’s Athens Return to the Acropolis. The beginning took place on October 14 with “Landscape in the Fog”, and the curtain will fall in December with the unique “Thiasos”. As we have already said, all other films will not rotate in chronological order, but rather in accordance with the themes and directions that Angelopoulos himself occupied.

“In a career spanning nearly five decades, Theo Angelopoulos has explored the intersections of history and memory, time and space, with a powerful personal vision that has had a clear impact on generations of viewers and artists alike. With the necessary support from our university and non-academic partners, we are pleased to provide this rare opportunity to enjoy the work of a true giant of world feature cinema on the big screen,” said Paul Malcolm, Head of the Archival Program.

All his filmography and the short film “Athens, Return to the Acropolis” 1983 are shown.

The element on which both the organizers of the retrospective and the responses of the major American media (for example, Variety) are focused is the incomparable technical level of Angelopoulos’ creativity with its epic scope and impressive shots, moreover, they stand on the personal stories of his heroes, “journeys” what they do are so often intertwined with the turbulent currents of Greece and the world in the 20th century.

“These intensely political, deeply spiritual and visually captivating works inspire the viewer to think, reflect and dream. The themes he explored in his films, especially the themes of immigration and displacement, are as relevant today as they were when they were made,” says Sharon Gerstel, director of the SNF university chapter at UCLA.

The truth is that in the American film capital of Los Angeles, interest in Greek cinema has increased in recent years, with more and more Hollywood productions coming to film in our country. Accordingly, in a kind of two-way “deal”, Greek films, modern and old, travel there with the help of the vibrant Los Angeles Greek Film Festival.