Greek film director Yiannis Smaragdis has come out swinging against Christopher Nolan's upcoming "Odyssey," calling it a...

Greek film director Yiannis Smaragdis has come out swinging against Christopher Nolan's upcoming "Odyssey," calling it a potential act of deception against the Greek people. Speaking on the television program "Randezvou to SK," Smaragdis said that if Nolan shaped his film around Oscar eligibility requirements rather than artistic integrity, the director is "despicable." The Oscar rules he referred to require films to include LGBTQ representation or immigration themes in order to qualify for Academy Award consideration. Smaragdis went further, framing the issue as a broader cultural pattern. He claimed that "unknown foreign centers" are attempting to recast the origins of Greek civilization, citing past instances where figures like Aphrodite were described as African. In his view, if Nolan pursued that direction, it amounts to a hostile act against Greeks. On the question of Greek state funding body EKKOMED co-financing Nolan's film, Smaragdis defended the organization. He said EKKOMED was right to include the production because it tries to attract international projects with Greek content, but he drew a line at any expectation that EKKOMED could review scripts or approve casting decisions, calling that outside its mandate. Smaragdis also used the interview to note his own standing in world cinema, pointing out that he is the only living Greek director with two films listed among the top ten of all time, "El Greco" and "Kapodistrias," and the only Greek director who is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He hinted at a future project on Greek independence hero Theodoros Kolokotronis, health permitting. The Nolan "Odyssey" has already drawn attention in Greece for its casting and production choices before a single frame has been screened publicly. #Odyssey #ChristopherNolan #Greece