Category: CULTURE

News about culture and cultural heritage

  • Athens and Epidaurus 2016 Festival Kicks Off with Verdi’s ‘Aida’

    Athens and Epidaurus 2016 Festival Kicks Off with Verdi’s ‘Aida’

    ΓενικάThe Athens and Epidaurus Festival 2016 will begin this year on June 10, with a production of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida” at the Herod Atticus Odeon beneath the Acropolis, performed by the National Opera and directed by Enrico Castiglione, an Italian director and set designer noted for his “cinematic” approach and realism. The opera is in Italian, with Greek and English subtitles.

    The next event is the Festival Open Party on June 14, with a concert featuring a number of Greek musicians and bands at the Piraeus 260 venue. A full list of the events is available on the festival website www.greekfestival.gr.

    The organizers on Wednesday presented the festival’s official trailer, directed by Michalis Konstantantos with graphic animation by Giorgos Karagiorgos and music by Michalis Delta. The trailer can be viewed on YouTube at the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No65c_rh6Nw.

    Tickets for the events are available either through the festival website or can be booked by phone (210 3272000) or bought from the Athens Festival box office at 39 Panepistimou Street.

    (greece.greekreporter.com)

  • ‘Greeks’ Exhibition to Open June 1 at National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C.

    ‘Greeks’ Exhibition to Open June 1 at National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C.

    Πολιτισμός“The Greeks—Agamemnon to Alexander the Great”spans 5,000 years of Greek history and culture, presenting stories of individuals from Neolithic villages through the conquests of Alexander the Great. This unprecedented exhibition features more than 550 artifacts from the national collections of 22 museums throughout Greece, making it the largest exhibition of its kind to tour North America in 25 years. The Greeks makes its final of two U.S. stops, and its only East Coast appearance, at the National Geographic Museum, where it opens to the public on June 1.

    “The Greeks is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of Greek history and culture to visit North America in a generation,” said Kathryn Keane, vice president of Exhibitions at the National Geographic Society. “From their Bronze Age beginnings to the height of classical civilization, the Greeks and the traditions they founded continue to have a profound impact on our lives today.”

    The exhibition contains more than 500 magnificent artifacts, many of which have never been displayed outside of Greece. Curator favorites include iconic stone figurines from the Cycladic Islands; gold funerary masks and other treasures from Mycenae; classical marble statues from the Acropolis Museum of Greek poets, athletes and heroes; and brightly painted ceramic vases featuring scenes from Greek mythology and daily life.

    Museum visitors will experience the exhibition through the eyes of the ancient Greeks. Some are well-known even today — Odysseus, Homer, Agamemnon, Leonidas, Socrates, Pericles, Philip II and Alexander — with their achievements recorded in epic poems, historical writings and mythological stories. But many of the people featured in the exhibition remain unnamed and known to us only through the archaeological record: a priestess of Mycenae, a warrior of the Iron Age, two noble women of the Archaic period and an athlete of the classical era. The objects buried with these individuals provide insights into their lives and the roles they played within their respective families and societies.

    Woven throughout the exhibition are the inventions, innovations and institutions that provide the foundation for much of Western culture. Scholars today trace the origins of modern democracy; the Olympic movement; and Western philosophy, poetry and theater back to Greece. Even many of the monuments of Washington, D.C., owe their architectural style to the mathematicians, builders and sculptors of ancient Greece.

    The Greeks was developed by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports (Athens, Greece), The National Geographic Museum (Washington, D.C.), the Field Museum (Chicago), the Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau, Canada), and Pointe-à-Callière Montréal Archeology and History Complex (Montréal, Canada). More information about The Greeks at the National Geographic Museum can be found here: http://natgeo.org/thegreeks. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

    In addition to this exhibition, National Geographic is producing a three-hour series “The Greeks,” which will air nationally on PBS, starting June 21, 2016 at 9 p.m. (check local listings). A rich complement of publications and public programming related to the exhibition will also be announced in early May. Special events will include an engaging Nat Geo Liveevent featuring Caroline Alexander, author of the recently published and critically acclaimed English translation of The Iliad.”

    The National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., is open every day (except Dec. 25) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults; $12 for National Geographic members, military, students, seniors and groups of 25 or more; $10 for children ages 5-12; and free for local school, student and youth groups (18 and under; advance reservation required). Tickets may be purchased online at http://natgeo.org/thegreeks; via telephone at (202) 857-7700; or in person at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th Street, N.W., between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information on group sales, call (202) 857-7281.

    (press.nationalgeographic.com)

  • Great philosopher Aristotle’s tomb found

    Great philosopher Aristotle’s tomb found

    ΓενικάGreek archaeologists announced they have discovered the tomb of ancient Greek philosopher, and one the greatest in the world, Aristotle. After years of meticulous excavations at the ancient site of Stagira, located in central Macedonia, near the eastern coast of the Chalkidiki peninsula, archaeologists said that the domed building and altar unearthed in 1996 belong to the great philosopher.

    The discovery of the tomb of Aristotle was announced by archaeologist Kostas Sismanidis, according to whom the findings from the excavation of 1996 in the region point to the conclusion that the tomb belongs to Aristotle.

    ‘I have no hard proof, but strong indications lead me to almost certainty’, said archaeologist Kostas Sismanidis. He claimed all the indications, from the location of the tomb, the period it was erected, its public character are conclusive that the edifice is indeed Aristotle’s tomb.

    (en.protothema.gr)

  • Alexandria Short Film Festival supports Arab independent filmmakers

    Alexandria Short Film Festival supports Arab independent filmmakers

    ΓενικάHosted by Alexandria’s Fine Arts Museum, one of the leading cultural and artistic landmarks of the city, the second round of the Alexandria Short Film Festival wasfew days ago. Twelve Arab countries, including Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Palestine, and Algeria participated with 73 short films and documentaries.

    Under the honorary supervision of well-known producer Mohammed El-Adl, the jury included the actress Bushra, the director Amir Ramses, and the cinema critic Safaa El-Leithy who were responsible for evaluating the films and selecting the winners.

    The festival’s goal is to spread cinematic culture in Alexandria and introduce various genres of short films to different social classes in Egyptian society. In addition, the festival pays great attention to Arab cultural exchange by screening animated films, documentaries, and short films from different Arab countries. The festival also organises some free artistic workshops and seminars during and after the festival to allow novice filmmakers to improve their talents and develop their skills.

    “The whole thing started last year when three independent directors found out that short films weren’t the main focus of any big festival in Alexandria,” said Mohammed Sadoon, an independent filmmaker and one of the festival’s main founders.

    “We decided to self-finance the first round of the festival and we invited some celebrities such as Egyptian actor Khaled Abol Naga, director Ayten Amin, and film critic Magdy Al-Tayeb who volunteered to watch the movies and judge them,” he added.

    Last year, only 45 Egyptian and Arab movies participated in the festival. However, the directors had to pay for their transportation and accommodation in Egypt due to the lack of financing. Obtaining support from the government was not an easy task at the beginning because governmental institutions prefer to support organisations, not individuals.

    “Everything was different this year because we received EGP 10,000 in financial support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. We also received support from Alexandria’s Fine Arts Museum, which hosted the opening night, the finale, and the screenings,” he added.

    The preparations for the festival took several months. The “watching committee” consisted of seven directors who were responsible for watching all 300 movies that applied to participate in the festival and for choosing the best. Then, the selected movies were submitted to the film censorship committee for approval. “No red lines were imposed on us regarding the selection of the participating movies, however, we were asked to notify the audience of any adult-only films,” he noted.

    The best documentary award went to the Syrian movie “Searching For Abbas Kerostamy”, which was directed by Ahmed and Mohammed Malas. The award for the best feature film went to Egyptian director Sameh Alaa for his movie “Stick Abla Margo”. The Arab Creativity Award went to Iraqi director Bahaa El Kazmy for his movie “Still Calling”.

    The directors of the festival are now organising two free workshops for young artists who are interested in the different filmmaking fields. One for teaching artistic and cinematic criticism and another one about producing movies using mobile phones.

    “Starting from next year, the festival will be completely supported by the Ministry of Culture. I believe this must be considered a victory not only for independent filmmakers in Alexandria, but also for the audiences of the short films from different social and cultural backgrounds,” he added.

    (www.dailynewsegypt.com)