“My life is like an episodic movie,” Michalis Kakoyannis told me in 2011. The meeting took place on the cozy bright first floor of Mawson Street. Although his body betrayed him and he was bedridden, he was in the mood to talk about the milestones of his life and his work, the Foundation that bears his name: “I am grateful that so many young artists show their work there.”

As the president and CEO of the Foundation Xenia Kaldara notes, “she wanted to create ideal conditions for young people to be born new.” In the premises of the IMC on Piraeus Street, which is visited by the public every day for various events, some cautiously stand in the modest office of M. Kakoyannis with a few things, the Zorba manuscript, the impressive blue velvet suit from Vyssinokipos worn by Charlotte Rampling. These are the objects that were celebrated in the big exhibition for the 100th anniversary of the director’s birth, which, although it has completed its cycle, continues in 3D form for the digital visitor of the website of the Michalis Kakoyannis Foundation, where he can be mentally transported to the shooting of his favorite films: “Stella”, “The Girl in Black”, “The Last Lie”, in the trilogy “Electra”, “Troads”, “Iphigenia”, “Zorbas” and others.

Many photographs and posters from the work of the cosmopolitan director, screenwriter, translator and painter (few people know him) invite us into his world. From 1950 to 2005 he directed 15 films, 36 plays, 7 operas in Greece, the USA and Europe.

It was a reason to go back to that meeting we had in 2011, shortly before his death. “Father was an outstanding criminologist, and mother was wonderful to all of us.” He remembered how they enjoyed dancing, walking, summers in Platres. Elegant women in expensive dresses, men always in tuxedos.

The family wanted him to become a lawyer; as a student, he published a four-page newspaper and staged plays in his father’s house with the help of his brothers, which he wrote himself. In London he studied law, drama and directing while working for the BBC Greek Service as a translator and broadcaster. He started in the theater as an actor, but in 1950 he wrote his first script based on “Heroica” by Kosmas Politis. He was later asked by Takis Horn to write a script idea for him, Ellie Lampety and George Pappas to convince a wealthy Greek producer from Egypt to make the film. Thus, Sunday Awakening was born in 1954. Then Stella, The Girl in Black, The Last Lie, Passion Approaches Elektra, Zorbas, the Attila-74 documentary, etc.

A digital journey to the shooting of the legendary films Stella, The Girl in Black, The Last Lie and more.

Kakoyannis wrote his biggest inspirations during the morning hours on paper towels next to his bed. The photographs in the exhibition follow each other and arouse the desire to re-read his biography “In the Foreground” with his stories to Christos Siafkos (published by Psychogios).

Ellie Lampeti was his weakness. Since they lived their love with Horn in Egypt. “They lived in two walk-through apartments and came to the set in the morning, he was sleepy and she was drying up.” Until they confessed their relationship to him. “I was in love with her too, but I didn’t dare to think about it because Takis was a friend and trusted me. But Ellie was also incredibly charming. Her aura was like that of a fragile and very sexy being that could pass out from a single touch,” he said.

As for Melina, he says, “she was a witch, she charmed you with her vitality. When I met her, she was wearing a red knitted hat, framing two huge hazel-golden eyes. The photo of Irene Papa from Elektra is reminiscent of his words about her when she asked for her beautiful long black hair to be donated. “She was very Levantine, she accepted it right away, but she asked me to stand next to the hairdresser and it happened. (…) She also risked her physical integrity. In “Electra”, she was among the horses that attacked her, and then Aegisthus’ men knocked her to the ground. Not many people would do that.”

Kakoyannis possessed not only phlegmatic humor, but also straightforwardness. He didn’t have the best experience with Anthony Quinn, who was oppressive to his associates. Even for Simone Signor, who from the first filming realized that she could not cope with the role of Madame Hortense. He adored Lila Centerova, worked great with Alan Bates, working with Mikis Theodorakis “was culture.”

They met Katharine Hepburn when she asked to see The Last Lie at a private screening. Upon seeing Lambety, “she took my hand and spontaneously told me that she wanted to act like Ellie,” director Chr. Siafko. He impressed him by asking him to rehearse shortly before filming. She knew her role. And yet she asked him, if she was speechless, to slap her. On the contrary, Redgrave as Andromache remained unread.

This is how he saw himself: “I was born ‘in the land of Cyprus’ and lived my life as a planet in the capitals of the world, with a dowry and provision of Greek origin, which I brought into myself, a truly virtue. “.