The Illiac Passion

Gregory Markopulos, The Illiac Passion , 1964–7
Gregory Markopulos
The Illiac Passion  1964–7
© 2008 Temenos Inc
Saturday 8 March 2008, 19.00

Throughout his life, Markopoulos remained closely connected to his family background, and ultimately saw the Greek landscape as the ideal setting for viewing his films. The Illiac Passion (Gregory J Markopoulos, USA, 1967, 92 min), one of his most highly acclaimed films, is a visionary interpretation of ‘Prometheus Bound’ starring mythical beings from the 1960s underground, including Andy Warhol, Jack Smith and Taylor Mead.

The soundtrack of this contemporary re-imagining of the classical realm features a reading of Thoreau’s translation of the Aeschylus text and excerpts from Bartók. The preceding film, Sorrows  (Gregory J Markopoulos, Switzerland, 1969, 6 min) is a lyrical portrait of the crystalline interior of the Swiss house built for Wagner by King Ludwig II.

Tate Modern  Starr Auditorium
£5 (£4 concessions), booking recommended
For tickets, call 020 7887 8888.


Access for wheelchairs and pushchairs  Hearing loop available