Farewell to Iakovos Kambanellis

Iakovos Kambanellis, one of the most prominent figures of post-war Greek literature, died yesterday at the age of 89.

Kambanellis was born on the island of Naxos and studied design in Athens. During the Nazi occupation of Greece in WW2 he became actively involved in the Resistance movement. He was arrested by the German occupying forces in 1943 and was sent to Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, from which he was liberated by the Allied Forces in 1945.

His legendary Mauthausen novel, which describes his experience as a concentration camp survivor, was set to music by Mikis Theodorakis and became one of the most influential works in Greek culture.

He wrote more than twenty plays and twelve film scripts, including Stella by Michael Cacoyannis and The Dragon by Nikos Koundouros. In an announcement, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism expressed deep regret for Kambanellis’ passing, noting that the deceased defined the style of post-war Greek theatre, adding that his works were deeply loved by the Greek audience, as they soberly and truthfully depicted the reality of life in Greece, its difficulties and joys.

ERT Digital Archive: Iakovos Kambanellis – Part 1& Part 2 (in Greek) [VIDEO]
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

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Warsaw / Celebrating European Day of Languages (26 & 27/9)

Celebrating “European Day of Languages”, a project that promotes linguistic and cultural diversity in Europe, ten Cultural Institutes and Embassies – members of EUNIC Warsaw Cluster (EU National Institutes for Culture) – including the Greek Embassy in Warsaw, organized a two days cultural event at Zloty Tarasy , a multifunctional complex in the center of Warsaw (26 & 27/9).

The participation of Greece was coordinated by the Greek Press and Communication Office in Warsaw in collaboration with the Center for Hellenic Studies in Warsaw University.

The program included public lessons and story telling, educational competitions

(such as “treasure hunt”), and music events, while participating institutions provided promotional material for the languages involved.

The Greek participation featured soprano Katarzyna Gojny, performing songs of Theodorakis, Loizos and Kougioumtzis, rearranged by Odysseas Konstantinopoulos.   PHOTOS :