Pantelis Voulgaris

Directing

Pantelis Voulgaris

Born 1940-10-23 · Athens - Greece

Pantelis Voulgaris (Greek: Παντελής Βούλγαρης) was born in Athens in 1940 and studied at the Stavrakou Film School. He worked initially as an assistant director and made his first short in 1965. Since then his films have won international acclaim and numerous awards establishing his reputation as one of the foremost Greek film directors of his generation. Pantelis Vouglaris has also directed several documentaries for Greek television and the hour-long documentary on the poet Yannis Ritsos for German Television. He has also directed for the stage. In 1995 Pantelis Voulgaris was honoured by the Museum of Modern Art in New York with a mid-career retrospective.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Acting credits

Living Dangerously poster
6.8

On the morning of the World Cup final, Karamanos, an employee of the Greek Telecommunications Organization (TOE), connects his commander's personal computer to a devilishly complex and explosive device. He threatens to blow up the floor and the satellite dishes above if he is not allowed to appear on the national network 10 minutes before the football match to denounce all the wrongs that plague the lives of Greek citizens and make them victims of a partisan and corrupt state.

Living Dangerously

1987

Robbery in Athens poster
5.8

Three young people have decided to rob the safe of the estate agent Thomas Christidis, whose office is in the center of Athens. The first of them is Ntinos, who is Christidis’ clerk, the second one is Stavros, Ntinos’ younger brother who works as a book representative, while their friend Michalis is a pirate taxi-driver. The robbery is successful, and they feel excited.

Robbery in Athens

1969

Angel poster
5.6

Twenty-year-old homosexual Angelos, who works in a jewelry shop, lives very discreetly in a rather hostile social environment. When he falls in love with a sailor, Michalis, he decides to leave home, abandoning his alcoholic father, his hysterical mother and his disabled sister, to live with his lover.

Angel

1982

Broadcast poster
7.1

The team of journalists of a radio show asks women on the street for their definition of the ideal man in order to conduct a search for someone to fill the bill, a specimen who has all these characteristics. The lucky guy will spend a few hours in the company of a well-known movie star

Broadcast

1968

Running on Waves poster
NR

As Yorgos Papalios trains for the Athens Marathon, his remarkable life unfolds – from shipping dynasties and revolutionary Cuba to the shaping of Greek cinema and cultural policy – revealing a personal journey that echoes the modern history of Greece.

Running on Waves

2026

The Race poster
NR

The struggles of the Greek people during the dictatorship and the early post-dictatorship period.

The Race

1975

Stone Years poster
6.1

The true story of a young couple (Babis and Eleni) fighting for love and freedom. An odyssey in and out of prisons during the dark period between the Greek civil war until the end of dictatorship in 1974.

Stone Years

1985

An Buachaill Geal Gáireach/The Laughing Boy poster
NR

A trilingual feature documentary - An Buachaill Geal Gáireach/ The Laughing Boy is the remarkable and untold story of a song.

An Buachaill Geal Gáireach/The Laughing Boy

2023

Champions: A Comic Tale poster
6.0

A comic tale. The issue of film education has been a Gordian link for many years in Greece. Starting from the time of Stavrakos in 1950, the documentary reaches up to the present day, exploring this issue through a dialogue between the people who dealt and are dealing. Among them Theodoros Angelopoulos, Pantelis Voulgaris, Dinos Katsouridis, Nikos Koundouros, Manos Zacharias, Werner Herzog, Emir Kustouritsa, Fatih Akin.

Champions: A Comic Tale

2011

Kierion poster
6.0

Athens 1967. The political assassinations and the background between the government and foreign powers, on the occasion of the "Polk Case", where an innocent leftist was convicted for the murder of an American journalist in Greece.

Kierion

1974

An All-Weather Man poster
NR

An approach to the phenomenon of Thanasis Vengos, the man and the artist, through film excerpts, testimonies of his collaborators and relatives and analyses of his symbolic role in the post-war modern Greek reality. Thanasis Vengos, for more than fifty years, was one of the most important actors in Greece. His films and lines are written in history, raising more than three generations of Greeks.

An All-Weather Man

2004

Affection to the People poster
7.0

A documentary about cinema censorship during the dictatorship in Greece (1967- 1974), based on never-before-seen state archives. The film includes clips of films which were either censored or banned, newsreels of that era, interviews with famous directors and also secret documents from the reports of the Censorship Committee that are made public for the first time, portraying a revealing picture of the system’s control mechanisms and providing a fresco of that time.

Affection to the People

2013

The Great Love Songs poster
8.0

A documentary about Greek music. Τhe Great Love Songs is series of ten poems by, among others, Sappho, Elytis, Myrtiotissa, Sarantari, and cavafy, put to music by Manos Hadjidakis. In the film, the camera lens illustrates the emotions stirred by the erotic atmosphere of the music. We follow the camera as it wanders through Athens; the nostalgic Athens of yesteryear; the big modern-day city; the Athens of lovers; the Athens of tourists. Our journey through the city is intercut with footage from the studio recordings of the songs, while there also scenes featuring the film crew. The film is a game between image and sound.

The Great Love Songs

1973

Collecting Time poster
NR

Dimitris Pistiolas, a retired employee for the Greek Post Office, is the owner of the largest cinema museum in the world. In two tiny venues in Athens lies his renowned by the Guinness World Records collection. Now, 90 years old, Dimitris recounts his past, hidden in his machines, hoping that his memories are not going to be lost forever.

Collecting Time

2024

The Thief poster
NR

Short film about a pickpocket. A police officer catches a pickpocket after some illegal activity on a bus, but is willing to hear what led him to the crime.

The Thief

1965

Behind the camera

Crying? poster
4.4

Bill is an accountant at a film company. His boss is out for the weekend so the office is under his commands. Nadia is an aspiring young film director who thinks she is a genious. They don't know each other. Through them we see the lives of their family and friends. Nick a gay former child TV star, Alexander s fat boy who wears dead singers T-shirts, Monique a french albino with burned legs, Anna the "slut" and others...Bill does not understand that he is getting older. He is fond of little girls especially his 14 year old neighbor Jenny. Nadia on the other hand seem to be attracted only by artsy fartsy men.

Crying?

2003

Acropol poster
6.0

1950s Athens. Prince, a self-made impresario and the owner of the "Acropole" review theater, fires one of his leading ladies when she shows up drunk on opening night. In order to replace her, he turns to Lakis Loizos, an expert at comic female roles and an ex-wonder-child of movies, who now runs an agency for extras. At first, Lakis is surprised by the prince's proposal, but finally decides to try his luck on the stage of the legendary theater.

Acropol

1996

Acropol poster
6.0

1950s Athens. Prince, a self-made impresario and the owner of the "Acropole" review theater, fires one of his leading ladies when she shows up drunk on opening night. In order to replace her, he turns to Lakis Loizos, an expert at comic female roles and an ex-wonder-child of movies, who now runs an agency for extras. At first, Lakis is surprised by the prince's proposal, but finally decides to try his luck on the stage of the legendary theater.

Acropol

1996

Anna's Engagement poster
6.2

A lower-class maid navigates the social world of the upper-crust family she works for.

Anna's Engagement

1972

Anna's Engagement poster
6.2

A lower-class maid navigates the social world of the upper-crust family she works for.

Anna's Engagement

1972

The Striker with Number 9 poster
5.3

The story of a talented yet self-destructive soccer player in Greece. Based on the novel of the same name by Menis Koumandareas, the film narrates the life and works of Vassilis Seretis, a young, unknown, poor, but talented and ambitious football player, who dreams of conquering the pitches. The hero is willing to give everything and suffer whatever it takes in order to conquer the football world. With his talent as his only weapon, he tries to define his destiny, on a route from Thessaloniki, to Volos and from there to Athens. With him, we taste the mud of the fields, the loneliness of the countryside, the "sold out" matches, but also the ephemeral glow of success. Pantelis Voulgaris signs a film that left an era, as, in addition to its original directorial perspective, it outlines the phenomenon of Greek football in a poetic and at the same time realistic way.

The Striker with Number 9

1988

Little England poster
7.1

Τwo sisters from the island of Andros, dubbed Little England because of its affluence, are both in love with the same man. Set in the Greek Civil War period and ending in the 1950s, the movie is based on the homonymous novel by Ioanna Karystiani.

Little England

2013

Brides poster
6.4

A young female character, Nikki Douka, from Samothraki, is sailing to the U.S. to fulfill a marriage contract and save her family honor. Her skills as a seamstress keep her busily sewing throughout the voyage to alter wedding dresses for the third-class voyagers. But along the way, she meets a young American photographer who is returning from the Middle East where he was snapping shots of the war in Smyrna, 1922. Her honesty, pride, and beauty attract the attention of the American who falls in love with her. Tribulations abound during the voyage, following the dramas of several unfortunate young women upon whom nasty characters preyed, as Nikki struggles with her feelings for the photographer.

Brides

2004

Brides poster
6.4

A young female character, Nikki Douka, from Samothraki, is sailing to the U.S. to fulfill a marriage contract and save her family honor. Her skills as a seamstress keep her busily sewing throughout the voyage to alter wedding dresses for the third-class voyagers. But along the way, she meets a young American photographer who is returning from the Middle East where he was snapping shots of the war in Smyrna, 1922. Her honesty, pride, and beauty attract the attention of the American who falls in love with her. Tribulations abound during the voyage, following the dramas of several unfortunate young women upon whom nasty characters preyed, as Nikki struggles with her feelings for the photographer.

Brides

2004

It's a Long Road poster
7.5

Three stories dealing with three men and their stance towards life, given their personal background. All stories are held in Northern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace), covering all the spectrum from urban to rural settings.

It's a Long Road

1998

It's a Long Road poster
7.5

Three stories dealing with three men and their stance towards life, given their personal background. All stories are held in Northern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace), covering all the spectrum from urban to rural settings.

It's a Long Road

1998

Eleftherios Venizelos: 1910-1927 poster
6.4

A biographical film about the great Greek politician Eleftherios Venizelos for the period between 1910-1927. The film highlights his vision of a Greater Greece and refers to important events in Greek history such as the formation of a government by Venizelos after the Goudi movement, his dispute with the King over Greece's stance in the First World War, the temporary his withdrawal from politics after his defeat in the 1920 elections and the Asia Minor disaster. A biography of the former Greek prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos and the recreation of his acts and the political and social climate in Greece from 1910 to 1927.

Eleftherios Venizelos: 1910-1927

1980

Eleftherios Venizelos: 1910-1927 poster
6.4

A biographical film about the great Greek politician Eleftherios Venizelos for the period between 1910-1927. The film highlights his vision of a Greater Greece and refers to important events in Greek history such as the formation of a government by Venizelos after the Goudi movement, his dispute with the King over Greece's stance in the First World War, the temporary his withdrawal from politics after his defeat in the 1920 elections and the Asia Minor disaster. A biography of the former Greek prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos and the recreation of his acts and the political and social climate in Greece from 1910 to 1927.

Eleftherios Venizelos: 1910-1927

1980

The Last Note poster
6.7

The execution of 200 Greek resistance fighters by the German occupiers on May 1st, 1944 in Kaisariani, as reprisal for the Greek Resistance ambush against Nazis.

The Last Note

2017

The Last Note poster
6.7

The execution of 200 Greek resistance fighters by the German occupiers on May 1st, 1944 in Kaisariani, as reprisal for the Greek Resistance ambush against Nazis.

The Last Note

2017

Stone Years poster
6.1

The true story of a young couple (Babis and Eleni) fighting for love and freedom. An odyssey in and out of prisons during the dark period between the Greek civil war until the end of dictatorship in 1974.

Stone Years

1985

Stone Years poster
6.1

The true story of a young couple (Babis and Eleni) fighting for love and freedom. An odyssey in and out of prisons during the dark period between the Greek civil war until the end of dictatorship in 1974.

Stone Years

1985

Stone Years poster
6.1

The true story of a young couple (Babis and Eleni) fighting for love and freedom. An odyssey in and out of prisons during the dark period between the Greek civil war until the end of dictatorship in 1974.

Stone Years

1985

With Heart & Soul poster
6.7

Two brothers are fighting on opposite sides during the Greek Civil War.

With Heart & Soul

2009

With Heart & Soul poster
6.7

Two brothers are fighting on opposite sides during the Greek Civil War.

With Heart & Soul

2009

Happy Day poster
5.1

A concentration camp on a barren island is hell for the exiled political prisoners. The everyday life of the prisoners consists of interrogations, psychological and physical violence, arbitrary punishments and other torments. One of the prisoners who refuses to yield is subjected to torture. Trying to escape, he falls into the sea. When the Queen visits the island, the prison guards find the runaway and murder him without a second thought, since he is already assumed dead.

Happy Day

1976

Happy Day poster
5.1

A concentration camp on a barren island is hell for the exiled political prisoners. The everyday life of the prisoners consists of interrogations, psychological and physical violence, arbitrary punishments and other torments. One of the prisoners who refuses to yield is subjected to torture. Trying to escape, he falls into the sea. When the Queen visits the island, the prison guards find the runaway and murder him without a second thought, since he is already assumed dead.

Happy Day

1976

The Dance of the Goats poster
NR

Carnival is crazy all over Greece, but nowhere is it more unbridled and authentic than in Skyros. All the elements - the half-human half-animal figures, the strange masks, the pantomimes, the parodies and the obscenities - identify the Carnival of Skyros with the ancient Dionysia. This documentary presents the dance of the goats or "old men", as well as a parallel celebration organized by the fishermen of the island.

The Dance of the Goats

1971

Chronicle of Greek Dictatorship 1967-1974 poster
NR

The Chronicle of Greek Dictatorship 1967-1974, is a 37 minute documentary, unpublished for decades, that records important events, from the funeral of Georgios Papandreou and Giorgos Seferis to the trials of Alekos Panagoulis and other fighters against the regime. Voulgaris began shooting on his own with a super-8 camera, copies of which he later sent in Paris to Costas Gavras and Chris Marker. The latter decided to help Voulgaris, sending him a new 16mm camera and reels thus he was able to continue the shooting.

Chronicle of Greek Dictatorship 1967-1974

1976