THE GREEK WAY OF LIFEFAITH & IDENTITYmoving to the cities. Greece’s illegal immigration problems have sparked
anti-immigrant rallies and hostility from far-right fringe groups.
Until recently Greece’s only recognised ethnic minority were the
300,000 Muslims in western Thrace (mostly ethnic Turks exempt from
the 1923population exchange), who continue to have a diffi cult time.
Very small numbers of Vlach and Sarakatsani shepherds live a semi-
nomadic existence in Epiros, while you will come across Roma (Gyp-
sies) everywhere, especially in Macedonia, Thrace and Thessaly. More
than 150,000 people of Greek descent repatriated from the former
Soviet Union and Balkan states after the fall of communism. Many
post-war Greek emigrants have also repatriated or retired in Greece,
along with a small wave of second- and third-generation Greeks from
America, Canada, Australia and the wider Greek diaspora.
Faith & Identity
The Orthodox faith is the offi cial religion of Greece and a key element
of Greek identity, ethnicity and culture. The prevailing view is that to be
Greek is to be Orthodox. While younger people aren’t generally devout
nor attend church regularly, most observe the rituals and consider their
faith part of their identity. Between 94% and 97% of the Greek popula-
tion belong at least nominally to the Greek Orthodox Church, though
migrants are changing the dynamic.
Religion was the most important criterion in defi ning a Greek during
consecutive foreign occupations, and under Ottoman rule the Church
was the principal upholder of Greek culture, language and traditions,
helping to maintain a sense of unity. The Church still exerts signifi cant
GREECE ON SCREENGreek cinema received a much-needed boost in 2011, when writer-director Yorgos Lan-
thimos’ quirky Dogtooth (Kynodonta) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film, the fi rst time a Greek fi lm has been nominated since Mihalis
Cacoyannis’ Ifigenia in 1977 – and only the fi fth-ever Greek nomination. Lanthimos also
won the best screenplay award at the 2011 Venice Film Festival for his third feature, Alps.
One of Greece’s promising new-generation fi lmmakers, Lanthimos came into the inter-
national spotlight in 2009 when he won the new talent award at Cannes for Dogtooth.
Since the 1990s, Greek fi lm has achieved moderate commercial successes domesti-
cally with hit comedies such as Safe Sex (2000) and Sirens in the Aegean (2005), and
the high-budget El Greco (2007). Tasos Boulmetis’ A Touch of Spice (Politiki Kouzina;
2003) and Pantelis Voulgaris’ 2004 hit Brides (Nyfes), were the fi rst fi lms in many years
to gain cinematic releases abroad, while Yorgos Noussias’ fi rst Greek zombie fl ick (Evil)
was such a cult hit, Billy Zane wanted a role in the prequel.
But Greece’s most internationally acclaimed fi lm remains the classic 1964 fi lm
Zorba the Greek, which was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Director
(Cacoyannis) and Actor (Anthony Quinn), but won three for Best Art Direction, Cinemato-
graphy and Supporting Actress (Lila Kedrova). Greece’s only other Oscar nominations
also came from the 1960s heydays of Greek cinema, with Cacoyannis’ Electra (1962), and
Vasilis Georgiadis’ The Red Lanterns (1963) and Blood on the Land (1965). The late Melina
Mercouri, who went on to become Greece’s culture minister, is the only Greek actor ever
nominated for an Oscar, for her memorable role as a prostitute in the 1960 fi lm Never on a
Sunday, which also won her the Best Actress award at Cannes (and Best Music Oscar for
Manos Hatzidakis).
Greece’s best known art-house fi lmmaker is Theo Angelopoulos, winner of the
Golden Palm award at Cannes in 1998 for Eternity and a Day. Considered one of the few
remaining ‘auteur’ fi lmmakers, he is renowned for long takes and slow pans.
Greece’s most prestigious fi lm event is the annual Thessaloniki International Film
Festival.The Greek year is
centred on saints’
days and festivals
of the church cal-
endar. Name days
(celebrating your
namesake saint)
are considered
more important
than birthdays.
Most people
are named after
a saint, as are
boats, suburbs
and train stations.