The screening of the documentary, Mary, Marianna, Maria – The Unsung Greek Years of Callas, an invaluable recording of the life of the great Greek soprano, but also a testimony of our cultural legacy, took place on Monday, March 11th, at the John Cassavetes theater, in the presence of the filmmakers, Michalis Asthenidis & Vassilis Louras. The film, produced by the Greek National Opera and ESCAPE, and carried out thanks to the support of PPC Group, the Festival’s new Strategic Partner, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, was created within the framework of the Year of Callas, dedicated to celebrating the centenary of the legendary soprano’s birth. The screening was prefaced by Orestis Andreadakis, Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Artistic Director, Yorgos Koumentakis, Greek National Opera’s Artistic Director, Alexandros Kampouroglou, Global Programs Director at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and Sofia Dimtsa, Group Chief Corporate Affairs & Communication Officer of PPC Group. The end of the screening was followed by a Q&A with the two filmmakers.
The film attempts to shed light on the personal and artistic coming-of-age of Callas, in WWII Athens, from 1937 to 1945, as well as after 1957, when the world-famous diva reconnected with Greece.
Taking the floor, Orestis Andreadakis said: “This is a day dedicated to Maria Callas. We have already showcased a very powerful film by Panayotis Evangelidis, and we will screen another splendid one as part of the tribute to the centenary of Maria Callas’ birth. Last year was the Year of Callas. Because of this, we decided to organize a small tribute, in collaboration with the Greek National Opera.”
Initially, the floor was taken by Yorgos Koumentakis, Greek National Opera’s Artistic Director. “A lot of events about Maria Callas occurred all over the world and I was touched by the fact that so many people engaged with her once again. An immense personality, the greatest singer of all time came to the fore. A great actress and an incredible musician. An individual who took risks throughout her entire life. The centenary of her birth was a particularly special moment for the Greek National Opera, and that's why we organized several events.”
Next, he added that in the documentary we witness the period during which Maria Callas lived in Greece, starting her studies, and performing great roles, which left an indelible mark on her and the rest of her career, as well as her return in ‘60-’61, with Norma and Medea, at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus. “She defined this era as very important, and talks about her relationship with the Greek National Opera with gratitude. Therefore, she is a part of our history,” Mr. Koumentakis pointed out. “The documentary depicts a period that is not so well known and we thank PPC, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, our supporters.” Addressing Ms. Dimtsa, he mentioned: “I would like to thank you profoundly, we have maintained a wonderful relationship these last years. I would say you have been a co-creator during this whole supportive process. We exchange ideas, realizing them after. Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Andreas Dracopoulos built our new home in the Cultural Center. We moved there, and he helped us and continues to constantly do so. With his contribution to the extroversion, we feel like we are a family. Thank you for supporting the craziest, and most radical of ideas that keep reaching the Greek National Opera.”
Mr. Koumentakis then referred to the incidents that took place in the center of Thessaloniki: "Fear should not imprison us. I believe that everyone, each in their own way, can contribute to the acceptance of diversity. We live in a time when we can not pretend that it does not concern us, making a case that we have something more important to deal with. These are the important issues and we need to address them".
Immediately after, Sofia Dimtsa, Group Chief Corporate Affairs & Communication Officer of PPC, stressed: "I am very glad to be here for various different reasons. The first is that I am once again in Thessaloniki where I spent years as a student at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The second is that it is a great honor to discuss the greatest voice that has touched the world of opera, as well as the singular woman who left her mark on music and culture, with her subversive voice and her amazing talent. Maria Callas’ name is internationally recognized as one of the greatest musical phenomena of the 20th century. Her reputation continues to enchant music lovers everywhere, and not only them."
“We, as PPC, are excited to actively participate in the celebrations for the centenary of the legendary soprano’s birth,” he added. “I would like to express my gratitude to Yorgos Koumentakis, and the Greek National Opera for this collaboration, which traveled from the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center to Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. PPC is in constant dialogue with Greek society and actively contributes to culture and art through various activities. It is our duty not only to honor the memory of this great artist and Greek woman, but also to contribute to the preservation and promotion of the cultural wealth she bequeathed to us."
According to Ms. Dimtsa, “through this initiative, I hope for everyone to discover the greatness of Maria Callas’ voice, to relive the magic of her music and become part of her myth. I'd like for everyone to see this film in a different light, because Maria Callas was a victim of what we call bullying today, during her first years in Athens. She was targeted for her weight, her appearance and all the stereotypes of the time, and found an open gate to cause her many problems. In recent years, PPC has been actively engaged in highlighting and combating deep-rooted stereotypes that lead to violence through large national surveys. Unfortunately, the results are alarming and show that a lot of work is required, especially among the youth. Culture and education are our most important tools in combating the root of evil. For this reason, we continue to actively support institutions promoting our culture. We are extremely excited about the collaboration with Thessaloniki Film Festival, as well as the town of Thessaloniki. We all come together in this journey for a better future through art."
Then Alexandros Kampouroglou, Global Programs Director at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, noted: “On behalf of the Board of Directors of Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and our President, Andreas Dracopoulos, it’s a great honor and we are very delighted to have supported the creation of this documentary in the context of the centenary of Maria Callas’ birth, as well as in the context of the Foundation’s donation for the support of Greek National Opera’s artistic extroversion. This documentary holds great value and has already been labeled as unique, as it covers a lesser-known period in Maria Callas’ life.” After the screening, a Q&A followed with the two filmmakers, Michalis Asthenidis and Vassilis Louras.
In response to a question from the audience, on Maria Callas’ contract with the Greek National Opera and the technical aspect of the shot portraying Callas’ recital in Lefkada, Vassilis Louras mentioned: “The contracts they were doing at that time were annual. The contract she signed in 1940 was completed in ’41. She remained without a contract for a few months but afterwards they signed her on again. This was because we were already under Italian Occupation and the management of the Opera was changing. However, afterwards they signed her on again and until ’45 the contract was renewed." Regarding the second part of the question, Michalis Asthenidis remarked that “The video was captured with 8mm film, and the sound was recorded on a tape recorder. We set the film to 24 frames and then added the words and music, piece by piece."
On her unknown relationship with Thessaloniki, and on what their engagement with the story of the famous soprano left imprinted on their minds, Mr. Louras explained,”Callas had a long standing relationship with Thessaloniki. Apart from ’42, when she first came to town accompanied by other artists of the Greek National Opera, she also returned for concerts in ’44-’45 before departing for America. She even had relatives here. Until the end of her life, she maintained an intimate relationship with Greece. We couldn't add more material about Thessaloniki in the documentary, just imagine that the original version was four hours long. Therefore, a lot had to be cut out."
Mr. Louras added: “What will remain for us is her inner strength. Callas faced negative criticism from early on in her life. Everything was against her. She was born a chubby child, came from America without knowing the Greek language, didn't finish school, her mother sent her straight to the conservatory. There she was an outsider, as she didn't dress well, wore thick eye glasses, had acne all over her face and was constantly ridiculed and attacked. Later, at the Greek National Opera, she was attacked by her partners as well, she was accused of collaborating with the Germans and the Italians. And yet, it was as if she didn’t take anything to heart, it seemed as if nothing affected her. And she managed to change the world of opera. Her example shows us that we can achieve anything if we keep working for it."
On whether they are considering utilizing in another way, the rest of the material emerging from the documentary, perhaps turning it into a docu-series about Maria Callas, Mr. Louras mentioned: “Regarding the documentary’s creation, our main issues were time and the cost of intellectual property. This is very expensive material, so in order to secure all these rights we had to acquire a substantial budget, which we secured thanks to Stavros Niarchos Foundation. A project such as the one you describe has many practical difficulties and I am unsure if it would be of interest to a non-specialized audience, not particularly interested in Callas. So, at this time we aren’t considering it.”
