After winning the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1984, Costas Ferris' evocative film sparked a rediscovery of rembetika music, a form of urban Greek expression akin to American blues in its passionate, soulful delivery and its associations with the plight of the poor and marginalized. The film follows a Greek singer's remarkable career from the backstreet taverns of Piraeas to the nightclubs of New York. Award-winning Greek actress Sotiria Leonardou stars as Marika, a singer whose family immigrated to Greece from Smyrna, where rembetika has its musical roots. Rembetiko is enchanting yet melancholy, stark but smoldering--much like the music itself. "The film's sound is as rich as its color" (Los Angeles Times). This Director's Cut is 40 minutes longer than the 1983 theatrical cut. In Greek with English subtitles.

Costas Ferris---Greece---1983---150 mins.