El Greco

El Greco (in Greek: Ελ Γκρέκο), is a Greek biographical film about the life of the Greek painter Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known as "El Greco" from his beginning as a painter of icons on the island of Crete until his success in Toledo, Spain.

El Greco was released in 2007, directed by Yannis Smaragdis and is based on the biographical novel, Ελ Γρέκο: Ο Ζογράφος του Θεου (El Greco: Τhe Painter of God).

The main cast features contemporary Greek actors like Lakis Lazopoulos, Dimitra Matsouka and Dina Konsta, and popular actors of the Greek cinema of the 1960s such as Sotiris Moustakas and Katerina Helmi, who, along with Juan Diego Botto, Laia Marull and others, surround the leading actor, Nick Ashdon, who portrays El Greco.

The plot

The plot centers around the life of the painter El Greco (1541-1614), who is born with his actual name Domenikos Theotokopoulos on the Greek island Crete, and later moves from his homeland to Venice in Italy. This act is caused by his romance with the daughter of the Venetian governor, which puts him in a dangerous situation if he remained on the island.

Domenikos joines the workshop of the old painter Titian, who becomes the mentor of the powerful “El Greco”. There, he meets one of the future Spanish religious leaders, the future Cardinal Fernando Nino de Guevara, who on the one hand appreciates the painters talent, but on the other hand suggests him to paint more moderately, since he denotes his way of painting 'dangerous'.

After his apprenticeship Domenikos moves to Toledo, Spain and becomes involved in a conflict with a part of the church, but the new Cardinal Nino de Guevara intervenes in defense of the painter. At the time El Greco also finds the love of his life, who he wants her to be his wife and the mother of his children.

Yet El Greco is forced to paint the Cardinal Fernando Nino de Guevara, who is unfortunately not pleased with the result. This 'incident' will damage and later destroy the relationship between the two of them. With the excuse of El Greco and his wife having a child without being married, Nino de Guevara calls El Grece to testify in the Inquisition.

Comments

Funded almost all by institutions in Greece, the film shows the juction between El Greco and his homeland. The movie was shot in Athens, Rhodes and Crete. Also as a guest of honor the Greek Queen Sofia of Spain was present during the premiere.