Alexis Zorbas 1964
Cyprus-born Michalis Kakoyannis’s film “Alexis Zorbas” premiered in 1964. Based on Nikos Kazancakis’s novel of the same name, the film stars veteran actor Anthony Quinn, the late British actor Alan Bates, Greek actress Irene Papas, and the late Leela Kedrova. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor at the Oscars, the film won Oscars for Best Black and White Editing, Best Set Design, and Best Supporting Actress. Nominated for three BAFTAs and five Golden Globes, the film had a budget of less than $1 million and an original runtime of 145 minutes. Vasily, a defeated, unhappy writer, inherits a mining business in Crete and meets Alexis Zorba, a life-loving man with a contrasting personality, leading to a transformation in Vasily’s life.
