Directed by Chris Marker • Documentary • 1989 • 26 minutes
“The institution of tragedy plays a fundamental role in a democracy.” --Cornelius Castoriadis
Greek tragedies were originally like TV shows before the age of streaming. They were performed once, and only once says scholar Oswyn Murray. But despite their transitory nature, they embraced themes that have spoken to humanity for centuries—and across cultures.
This episode looks at the particular cross-cultural pollination between Greek and Japanese theater. A Japanese woman remembers first engaging with Greece through Theo Angelopoulos’s film The Traveling Players, based on the myth of the House of Atreus. Angelopoulos and writer Vassilis Vassilikos find affinities between the rhythms of Noh, Kabuki, and classical Greek drama. Meanwhile, actor and theater director Alexis Minotis argues that in the modern world, only Greeks can truly understand the Greek tragedies—a position belied by the clips seen throughout the episode from a Japanese production of Medeaperformed in the ancient theater of Epidaurus, and lauded by Greek actor and Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri.
Directed by Valeria Bertuccelli, Fabiana Tiscornia • Drama • With Valeria Bertuccelli • 2018 • 107 minutes
Robertina, one of Argentina’s most acclaimed actresses, only has one month left until the premiere of her career-defining one-woman play. Instead of preparing and rehearsing, however, she s...
Directed by Kazuhiro Soda • Documentary • With Kôji Fukada, Kanji Furutachi, Oriza Hirata • 2012 • 172 minutes
What is the essence of theatre?
Theatre 1 is a feature length documentary which closely depicts the world of Oriza Hirata, Japan’s leading playwright and director, and his theatrical ...
Directed by Kazuhiro Soda • Documentary • With Kanji Furutachi, Koichiro Genba, Oriza Hirata • 2012 • 170 minutes
Can the theatre arts survive in the 21st century?
If Theatre 1 is about the world of Hirata, Theatre 2 is a feature documentary, which depicts the relationship between Hirata and th...
