Míkis Theodorakis

Born: 1925-07-29

Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis (Greek: Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης,29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films Zorba the Greek (1964), Z (1969), and Serpico (1973). He was a three time BAFTA nominee, winning for Z. For the score in the movie Serpico (1973), he earned Grammy nominations. Furthermore, for the unforgettable score to Zorba the Greek (1964), with its ‘Zorba’s Dance’, he was Golden Globe nominated. He composed the "Mauthausen Trilogy", also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen", which has been described as the "most beautiful musical work ever written about the Holocaust" and possibly his best work.Up until his death, he was viewed as Greece's best-known living composer. He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize. Politically, he was associated with the left because of his long-standing ties to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). He was an MP for the KKE from 1981 to 1990. Despite this however, he ran as an independent candidate within the centre-right New Democracy party in 1989, in order for the country to emerge from the political crisis that had been created due to the numerous scandals of the government of Andreas Papandreou. He helped establish a large coalition between conservatives, socialists and leftists. In 1990 he was elected to the parliament (as in 1964 and 1981), became a government minister under Konstantinos Mitsotakis, and fought against drugs and terrorism and for culture, education and better relations between Greece and Turkey. He continued to speak out in favour of leftist causes, Greek–Turkish–Cypriot relations, and against the War in Iraq. He was a key voice against the 1967–1974 Greek junta, which imprisoned him and banned his songs.


Placeholder

Dance Fight Love Die: With Mikis On the Road

as Mikis Theodorakis
Released: 2017-10-25

An intimate look into the life of composer Mikis Theodorakis from 1987 until 2017: comprising...

Movie page

The Rehearsal

as uncredited
Released: 1974-01-01

An indictment of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. The film tries to give a reconstruction...

Movie page

A Man for Εverything

as Self
Released: 2004-12-03

Movie page

Mikis Theodorakis. Composer

as Self
Released: 2010-11-29

The Greek composer takes the viewers on a journey through 70 years of his prolific musical...

Movie page

An Buachaill Geal Gáireach/The Laughing Boy

as (Archive footage)
Released: 2023-11-02

A trilingual feature documentary - An Buachaill Geal Gáireach/ The Laughing Boy is the...

Movie page

Ein Lied für Argyris

as Himself
Released: 2006-11-02

Movie page

Evidence

as Self
Released: 1975-09-26

A documentary presenting people and events connected with the most important political...

Movie page

Le Grand Échiquier

as Self
First aired: 1972-01-12

TV Show page