Stelios

Giorgos Tsemperopoulos's 2024 Greek film tells the life of the singer Stelios Kazantzidis. The child of a Pontic refugee family, he grows up in poverty and becomes, through his voice, one of the most listened to figures in post-war Greece. The narrative does not present success as ease. Kazantzidis clashes with the record companies, refuses to perform for long stretches and keeps a distance from fame; the film shows this not as stubbornness but as a stance. Christos Mastoras leads. The songs are the film's spine and wide space is given to period design. The original title points to one of the singer's best known songs. Who it's for: those who like Greek popular music and musical biography. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a critical portrait; the narrative treats its subject largely within a protective frame.