Stavros Tornes

Directing

Stavros Tornes

Born 1932-01-01 · Athens, Greece

Stavros Tornes (Greek: Σταύρος Τορνές) was a Greek film actor and director. Tornes was born in 1932 in Athens. He studied at the Ioannidis School in 1957 and worked as an assistant director and as an actor in films of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1967 he directed his first short film "Theraikos orthros" together with Kostas Sfikas. During the dictatorship he went to Italy where he participated in a group of exiles, fighting against the military junta. In 1973 he secretly visited Greece and filmed the documentary Students. In Italy (Rome) he appeared in many films, such as Many Wars Ago and Christ Stopped at Empoli by Francesco Rossi, and Alonzanfan by the Taviani brothers. It is worth noting that he played the leading role in the television film Nausicaa by Agnès Varda. He also painted. After the fall of the dictatorship, he returned to Greece and filmed the film Balamos, which was screened at the 1982 Thessaloniki Film Festival. With co-screenwriter Charlotte van Gelder, he also directed the films Karkalou, Danilo Treles and A Heron for Germany. He died in July 1988 and was buried in the Caesarean Cemetery.

Acting credits

City of Women poster
7.0

The charismatic Snaporaz encounters an alluring woman on a train and pursues her through a forest. He ends up at a hotel populated by women gathered for a feminist conference, where he is an unwanted presence. Snaporaz soon discovers he’s entered a phantasmagoric world where women have taken power.

City of Women

1980

Allonsanfan poster
6.9

After the 1815 Restoration, an aging revolutionary finds himself reluctantly involved in an attempted insurrection in Southern Italy while growing increasingly disillusioned with his cause.

Allonsanfan

1974

Varieté poster
5.0

An actor's troupe puts up a variety show.

Varieté

1985

Glory Sky poster
7.1

During the cold spring of 1941, with Greece already under German occupation, a long-suffering squad of war-battered soldiers receives orders from the headquarters in Athens to fall back, leaving behind the Albanian Front. As the men retreat through the snow-covered landscapes of the bomb-scarred Greek countryside, the terrifying certainty that nothing will ever be the same again crushes their weary human souls.

Glory Sky

1962

Open Letter poster
6.9

Thirty-year-old lower middle class Dimitris, faint-hearted and not particularly ambitious, is ready to jump at the opportunity that will get him handsomely provided. He wavers between yesterday, the German occupation nightmare and his love debut with a neighbour and contemporary, fluid reality. He meets Thaleia, a rich woman his age, who frequents the same night club as him, but his daily routine is invariably the same. The closure of the small industry in Drapetsona, where he used to work for the last 8 years, and his relationship with Maria confront him with a different reality. Maria is a progressive, evening school teacher, full of dreams.

Open Letter

1967

Nausicaa poster
6.3

A girl, whose father is from Greece, studies ancient art in France. The film was made for television but never broadcast for political reasons related to its portrayal of Greeks. A work print was screened in Belgium in 1971, and the film is now available in reconstructed form.

Nausicaa

1971

Stavros Tornes: The Poor Hunter of the South poster
8.0

"The Poor Hunter of the South" is the title of the film Stavros Tornes never got to make, rightfully featured alongside his name on this documentary by Stavros Kaplanidis ("Canteen", "Play it Again, Christos"). The film traces his imagery, listens for his whispers and infiltrates the memories of his closest friends, looking for clues in order to piece together the portrait of a filmmaker who made something out of nothing and stayed true to himself and his vision until the very end. Besides Tornes' own films, this documentary includes footage from films where the "poor hunter" appeared as an actor, like "The Secret of the Red Cloak" by Kostas Fotinos, "Kierion" by Dimos Theos and " Allonsanfan" by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani.

Stavros Tornes: The Poor Hunter of the South

1994

Topos poster
6.9

During its 85-minute running time, this jarring experimental film takes a no-holds-barred look at the way women have been treated and depicted in Western art.

Topos

1985

Lucky Luciano poster
6.3

Lucky Luciano is one of the bosses of the Mafia. He orders the slaughter of 40 other responsibles, therefore becoming the only boss. But a few years later he is put into jail. In 1946, he got a pardon and is sent back to Sicilia. There, he begins becoming one of the chief of the Mafia. The US Army seems to refrain from interfering.

Lucky Luciano

1973

Many Wars Ago poster
7.3

Time after time, soldiers of the Italian Army are forced to leave their mountain trenches in attempts to storm an enemy fortress, always with the same disastrous results. As casualties mount, indignation spreads among the rank and file. Disturbed by his superiors' decisions, Lieutenant Sassu is led to question the purpose of war and reconsider where his real duties lie.

Many Wars Ago

1970

Christ Stopped at Eboli poster
7.2

In the fascist Italy of 1935, a painter trained as a doctor is exiled to a remote region near Eboli. Over time, he learns to appreciate the beauty and wisdom of the peasants, and to overcome his isolation.

Christ Stopped at Eboli

1979

Coatti poster
6.3

Stavros and Charlotte - i.e. the director and his partner in life and art, Charlotte van Gelder - are wandering the streets of a burdensome reality like immigrants, tracing the world around them through friendships, journeys and political quests. Made with minimal means with a few rolls of black and white film they managed to scrape together, this is a thoroughly unconventional film that defies traditional narrative structures, spectacularly revealing the director's true vision: a primordial cinema full of imagery that comes out of nowhere and communicates freely, like a small wonder. A large slice of the international film critic community - including Frenchman Louis Skorecki who described the film as a comet - will adore "Coatti" and continue to support Tornes' lonely path until the end.

Coatti

1977

The Daywork of Happiness poster
5.8

Two young people are trying to make their common life although have to face the obstacle of an authoritarian mother. The young man, trying to overcome his financial difficulties, will be involved with a suspected man in a hypothetical big bay.

The Daywork of Happiness

1960

Balamos poster
7.2

In order to buy a horse, a man wanders in the bazaars of Thessaly. His journey will take him further than he imagines, as old prophets, forgotten witches and vampire princes will find himself on his way.

Balamos

1982

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician poster
6.7

The portrait of an Andalusian musician who wanders around Epirus and socializes with the strangest characters in the area.

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician

1986

No artwork available
7.0

The chronicle of Loukas Kostoglou, a publisher devoted to poetry, and Marios, his assistant, who is love with Nina.

Heron for Germany

1988

Misunderstanding poster
9.0

Dimitris Lembessis gets out of prison, pays his friend Stratos a visit and kills him. With Ilias he organizes a big jewel heist. During the operation they discover that someone has ratted on them. In their attempt to escape, a police officer is killed and Ilias is mortally wounded...

Misunderstanding

1983

The Roundup poster
6.9

A summer night in 1944 in Kokkinia, Kosmas, a black marketeer, is out with his friends before he is arrested by the German patrol. The Germans push him to turn in people from the Resistance, or they will execute him.

The Roundup

1965

Sharp as a Needle poster
4.7

Tonis and Rena are loved, but their uncles have objections, as they are deadly competitors in the field of swimwear marketing. Rena's uncle promotes a modern swimsuit, while Toni's uncle is a fan of the classic line. The two young men decide to steal ..

Sharp as a Needle

1961

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

The Beauty of Roumeli poster
10.0

Vassos and Malamo, the prettiest girl in the village, are in love and plan to get married. However, Panos, Vassos' brother, tries to seduce Malamo when, unfortunately for him, the local bandit appears.

The Beauty of Roumeli

1962

Deserted and alone to make my pain go away poster
NR

A film director, his relationships with women and the expression of his bitterly emotions about cinema and Greece

Deserted and alone to make my pain go away

2006

Fishermen and Fishing poster
NR

The film depicts all forms of traditional fishing and the life of fishermen of the Molyvos community on the Greek island of Lesvos, as it transposes us to island life of 1961, through a series of images from another era. Fishermen sail in the open sea on a purse seine.

Fishermen and Fishing

1961

Our Tears Have Dried Up poster
7.0

Dimitris and Maria postpone their wedding, as the declaration of war will separate them. Dimitris will fight on the front lines and later join the Resistance. The deputy leader of his resistance organization is fatally wounded in a sabotage operation against the Germans. The revelation that he is Maria's father, who had been searching for her for many years, brings pain to the already troubled couple. But the war will end and the two young people will finally have the chance to live happily together.

Our Tears Have Dried Up

1961

Behind the camera

No artwork available
7.0

Stavros Tornes' last film in Italy bears a title that fits the director like a glove, especially when it comes to his ability to start out from a non-fiction perspective and descend into full-blown fantasy. A boat going up the river, a fire in the heart of the city and a man wondering around the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, are some of the elements that comprise "Eksopragmatiko", a mournful movie (according to the director), which requires viewers to keep an open mind and an open heart.

Exopragmatiko

1980

No artwork available
7.0

Stavros Tornes' last film in Italy bears a title that fits the director like a glove, especially when it comes to his ability to start out from a non-fiction perspective and descend into full-blown fantasy. A boat going up the river, a fire in the heart of the city and a man wondering around the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, are some of the elements that comprise "Eksopragmatiko", a mournful movie (according to the director), which requires viewers to keep an open mind and an open heart.

Exopragmatiko

1980

Coatti poster
6.3

Stavros and Charlotte - i.e. the director and his partner in life and art, Charlotte van Gelder - are wandering the streets of a burdensome reality like immigrants, tracing the world around them through friendships, journeys and political quests. Made with minimal means with a few rolls of black and white film they managed to scrape together, this is a thoroughly unconventional film that defies traditional narrative structures, spectacularly revealing the director's true vision: a primordial cinema full of imagery that comes out of nowhere and communicates freely, like a small wonder. A large slice of the international film critic community - including Frenchman Louis Skorecki who described the film as a comet - will adore "Coatti" and continue to support Tornes' lonely path until the end.

Coatti

1977

Coatti poster
6.3

Stavros and Charlotte - i.e. the director and his partner in life and art, Charlotte van Gelder - are wandering the streets of a burdensome reality like immigrants, tracing the world around them through friendships, journeys and political quests. Made with minimal means with a few rolls of black and white film they managed to scrape together, this is a thoroughly unconventional film that defies traditional narrative structures, spectacularly revealing the director's true vision: a primordial cinema full of imagery that comes out of nowhere and communicates freely, like a small wonder. A large slice of the international film critic community - including Frenchman Louis Skorecki who described the film as a comet - will adore "Coatti" and continue to support Tornes' lonely path until the end.

Coatti

1977

Balamos poster
7.2

In order to buy a horse, a man wanders in the bazaars of Thessaly. His journey will take him further than he imagines, as old prophets, forgotten witches and vampire princes will find himself on his way.

Balamos

1982

Balamos poster
7.2

In order to buy a horse, a man wanders in the bazaars of Thessaly. His journey will take him further than he imagines, as old prophets, forgotten witches and vampire princes will find himself on his way.

Balamos

1982

Balamos poster
7.2

In order to buy a horse, a man wanders in the bazaars of Thessaly. His journey will take him further than he imagines, as old prophets, forgotten witches and vampire princes will find himself on his way.

Balamos

1982

Karkalou poster
5.8

An old man, cut off from his future and his past, brings a young taxi driver into his game. The two meet Karkalou, a crazy prostitute, whom the former once loved madly and the latter will soon love.

Karkalou

1984

Karkalou poster
5.8

An old man, cut off from his future and his past, brings a young taxi driver into his game. The two meet Karkalou, a crazy prostitute, whom the former once loved madly and the latter will soon love.

Karkalou

1984

Karkalou poster
5.8

An old man, cut off from his future and his past, brings a young taxi driver into his game. The two meet Karkalou, a crazy prostitute, whom the former once loved madly and the latter will soon love.

Karkalou

1984

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician poster
6.7

The portrait of an Andalusian musician who wanders around Epirus and socializes with the strangest characters in the area.

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician

1986

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician poster
6.7

The portrait of an Andalusian musician who wanders around Epirus and socializes with the strangest characters in the area.

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician

1986

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician poster
6.7

The portrait of an Andalusian musician who wanders around Epirus and socializes with the strangest characters in the area.

Danilo Treles: The Famous Andalusian Musician

1986

No artwork available
7.0

The chronicle of Loukas Kostoglou, a publisher devoted to poetry, and Marios, his assistant, who is love with Nina.

Heron for Germany

1988

No artwork available
7.0

The chronicle of Loukas Kostoglou, a publisher devoted to poetry, and Marios, his assistant, who is love with Nina.

Heron for Germany

1988

No artwork available
7.0

The chronicle of Loukas Kostoglou, a publisher devoted to poetry, and Marios, his assistant, who is love with Nina.

Heron for Germany

1988

Thirean Matins poster
7.0

A poetic documentary about the island of Santorini.

Thirean Matins

1968

Thirean Matins poster
7.0

A poetic documentary about the island of Santorini.

Thirean Matins

1968

Addio Anatolia poster
NR

Staros Tornes' first non-fiction short combines a beautifully poetic text with a series of tracking shots in the streets of Rome, set to music by Charlotte Van Gelder. Somewhere between documentary and poetic essay, this film was born out of Tornes' love for Africa and the Orients, his never-ending agony over bloody revolutions and his passionate use of cinema to approach the Other

Addio Anatolia

1976

Addio Anatolia poster
NR

Staros Tornes' first non-fiction short combines a beautifully poetic text with a series of tracking shots in the streets of Rome, set to music by Charlotte Van Gelder. Somewhere between documentary and poetic essay, this film was born out of Tornes' love for Africa and the Orients, his never-ending agony over bloody revolutions and his passionate use of cinema to approach the Other

Addio Anatolia

1976

Πλατεία Ιπποδαμείας poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Πλατεία Ιπποδαμείας

1983

Πλατεία Ιπποδαμείας poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Πλατεία Ιπποδαμείας

1983

For the Poet Nikos Kavvadias poster
NR

Stavros Tornes directs this documentary centered on the poet Nikos Kavvadias and his poetry.

For the Poet Nikos Kavvadias

1982