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The natural beauty of Rhodes alongside its magnificent Old Town and other historical monuments have always appealed to writers and film makers. It is no surprise then that many Greek & foreign books and film productions, including some of Hollywood’s finest, were shot in Rhodes. While Rhodes is more beautiful ‘in person’, in preparing for your trip to Rhodes, these films will give you a glimpse of what is waiting for you.
MOVIES
When planning to visit Rhodes, we highly recommend you watch some of these films to gain a taste of the unique beauty of the island.
* The Guns of Navarone directed by J. Lee Thomson, 1961 – the cliffs between Lindos & Pefkos, the Acropolis of Lindos, the Old Town, and Kalithea Beach are featured in this movie which stars Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Queen & Irene Papa.
* Mikres Afrodites (1963) / Young Aphrodites (1966) ( USA ) – set in 200 B.C., nomadic shepherds, plagued by drought, happen on a fishing encampment with plentiful fresh water.
*Doloma – directed by Alecos Sakellarios, 1964 – starring Aliki Vougiouklaki and Alecos Alexandrakis
*Sunrise Package – directed by Stanley Donen, 1960 – starring Yul Brynner
*Koritsia Gia Filima / Girls in Kisses (1965) (USA: TV title) – Greek comedy (English subtitles) – the new & old town and Kalithea beach featured in the film.
*Escape to Athena directed by George Kosmatos, 1979 and set in WW2. The Old Town and Kalithea beach featured in this movie that stars Roger Moore, Telly Savalas, David Niven and Claudia Cardinale.
* Peter and Paul (1981) – Filmed in the Old Town and starring Anthony Hopkins and Robert Foxworth.
*High Season directed by Clare Peploe, 1987. Set on Rhodes and filmed in Lindos, this movie stars Kenneth Branagh, Jaqueline Bisset, James Fox and Irene Pappas.
* Pascali’s Island directed by James Dearden, 1988. A thriller filmed on several beaches and the Old Town, starring Ben Kingsley, Charles Dance and Helen Mirren.
*O Jerusalem directed by Elie Chouraqui, 2006 – starring JJ Feild, Saïd Taghmaoui and Sir Ian Holm.Filmed in the Old Town.
*El Greco directed by Yannis Smaragdis, 2007 detailing the life of 16th century Greek painter, Domenicos Theotokopoulos. Filmed in the Old Town and starring Nick Ashdon, Juan Diego Botto, Laia Marull and Lakis Lazopoulos.
BOOKS
Nothing sparks the imagination and makes one’s mind travel quite like books. Here, we’ve gathered a collection of books that capture the landscapes, cities, history, images, smells and sensations of Rhodes, to help you remember past travels, or anticipate those to come. We’ve also included a few fun contemporary works.
*Rhodes in Modern Times by Cecil Torr was first published in 1887. In the book Torr provides an account of the story of Byzantine Rhodes and the times of the Knights of St John, including the extraordinary events of the Great Siege which culminated in the Knights’ expulsion from the island in 1522. (Publisher: Archaeopress)
*The Tragedy of Twelve Islands published in 1928 describes the historical and political situation on Rhodes Island (and the Dodecanese group) in 1920’s. (Publisher: Arrowsmith)
*Lawrence Durrell Reflections on a Marine Venus – A Companion to the Landscape of Rhodes 1953. This is Lawrence Durrell’s second travel book. Like the earlier work, it is devoted to a Greek island, in this case Rhodes , and memorializes a key period in its author’s life. Having spent World War II in uncongenial Egypt , Durrell arrived on Rhodes in 1945 as Public Information Officer. Also available in French – Venus et la mer, and Swedis – Afrodite från havet: en bok om Rhodos
*This Way to Paradise : Dancing on the Tables by Willard Manus is a memoir (in 1960’s) about the 35 years he and his wife Mavis spent in Lindos village. Written in a warm, exuberant style, the book paints a vivid picture of life in the village and its pages are packed with portraits of people they met in Lindos, among them, the Pink Floyd band, S.J. Perelman, Germaine Greer, Martha Gellhorn, Nicol Williamson and R.D. Laing. (Publisher: Lycabettus)
*Elias Kollias: The Knights of Rhodes. The Palace and the City. This book covers the history of the Knights and includes an illustrated guide to sites associated with them on Rhodes. Colour illustrations / photographs of Rhodes today, architecture, art, castle, palace, fortifications, illuminated manuscripts and other works. Plans and maps of the city. (Publisher: Ekdotike Athenon 1992). Available in English, Greek and French
*Rhodes a Story: 1306-1522 by Vangelis Pavlidis 1999, is an illustrated story (Publisher: Ekdotike Athenon 1992) about knights, Greeks, Turks, pirates, dragons and other strange and dangerous creatures. (Publisher: Kasseris Publications) Available in English, Greek, Italian, German and Russian