Greek Salad is an ongoing Greek cinema strand. Each screening explores a gem of Greek cinema – tossing together classics, festival favourites, and directors’ spotlights alike.
After concluding our mini retrospective on maverick director Nico Papatakis, we will return this autumn with two monumental works from Greek cinema’s history.
We begin in September with Stella (1955), directed by Mihalis Cacoyiannis, widely considered one of the defining films made in Greece, and for many Greeks, simply the greatest film ever made. Stella brought together three exceptional artists: Cacoyiannis, who would later earn five Academy Award nominations and six Palme d’Or nominations for films including Zorba the Greek (1964); actress, activist and politician Melina Mercouri, in her screen debut; and composer Manos Hatzidakis, the world-famous composer of Never on Sunday (1960).
October brings John The Violent (1973), Tonia Marketaki’s masterful debut, that is only now finding its rightful place in world cinema. This labyrinthine portrait of a self-confessed murderer – shaped by toxic masculinity – is both formally and conceptually innovative. Instead of focusing on the crime, Marketaki creates a strikingly prophetic study of how media narratives actively shape and distort reality.
Programming these two films back to back is a deliberate choice. Stella’s portrayal of female desire and defiance of misogynist convention was strikingly progressive for its time, even if still shaped by the limitations of the male gaze. Marketaki’s John The Violent does not focus on the crime, but only uses it as a springboard for a feminist exploration that is light years ahead of its time.
Introductions: Stella screening on Thursday 10 September will be introduced by former Judge and human rights advocate, Betty Iliadou. John the Violent screening on Thursday 22 October will be introduced by Film Lecturer Tonia Kazakopoulou.
Related event: Greece’s Gender Divide: Femicide Through the Lens: On Thu 19 Nov 2026, a panel discussion will take place at The Hellenic Centre featuring Betty Iliadou, Tonia Kazakopoulou and Dr Afroditi Koulaxi. Grounded on Stella‘s and John the Violent‘s screenings, it will explore how media and film coverage of femicide can distract from political and legislative failures. Hosted by strand curator, Erifili Missiou. More information, here.
The screenings in the film strand are held under the auspices of the Embassy of Greece in London.
evDoron is the in kind sponsor of the film strand.
