This first critical biography of radio broadcaster, stage director, and auteur filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis examines his prolific body of work within the socio-political context of his times. Best known as a bold modernist for triple-Oscar-winner ‘Zorba the Greek’, Michael likewise was hailed as an astute classicist for his inventive interpretations of Euripides. Working across several continents and languages, he forwarded feminist, humanist, and pacifist agendas, as he further innovated crafty LGBT narratives of unprecedented artistry and complexity. Despite intense persecution during the Cold War red scare and lavender scare, his casts and crews of frugal cosmopolitans critiqued racism, militarism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Avoiding censorship, job loss, and jail, Michael thereby laid foundations for the 1990s new queer cinema and set the stage for empowering dramas of socio-economic justice in the third millennium. Over his long life and productive career, Michael exposed and espoused the vital truths up his sleeve.

Aquesta primera biografia crítica del locutor de ràdio, director d’escena i de cinema d’autor Michael Cacoyannis examina la seua prolífica obra en el context sociopolític de l’època. Considerat un innovador per l’obra ‘Zorba the Greek’, guanyadora de tres Oscar, i aclamat per les adaptacions, intel·ligents i originals, que feu d’Eurípides, cultivà temàtiques feministes, humanistes i pacifistes, mentre continuava innovant en les narratives LGTB, a les quals aportà una complexitat artística sense precedents. En les seues obres va criticar el racisme, el militarisme, el sexisme, l’homofòbia i la transfòbia, i, malgrat la intensa persecució que va patir durant el “temor roig” i el “terror lila” en plena Guerra Freda, va poder evitar la censura, la pèrdua de treball i la presó. Així mateix, va establir les bases del nou cinema ‘queer’ dels anys noranta i va abonar el terreny per al teatre sobre justícia socioeconòmica del tercer mil·lenni. Al llarg de la seua dilatada i productiva carrera, Cacoyannis va exposar i va defensar les inquietuds vitals que el preocupaven.

Contents

PROLOGUE Artists Need No Permits

PART I WILLFUL COMING OF AGE

CHAPTER 1 Colonial Family Portraits

CHAPTER 2 Metropolitan Broadcast Performances

CHAPTER 3 Global Antigay Proceedings

PART II FILMING THE GAYEST SORT

CHAPTER 4 The Modern Greece Quintet

CHAPTER 5 Devils, Gods, and Wastrels

CHAPTER 6 Zorba the Great, Michael the Greek

CHAPTER 7 Hollywood’s Biggest Bomb

PART III RESTAGING RESISTANCE

CHAPTER 8 On the Ancients, In Exile

CHAPTER 9 Coups and Clerics

CHAPTER 10 The Long Farewell

EPILOGUE Laying Queer Foundations

APPENDIX A Filmography

APPENDIX B Major Stage Productions

PRIMARY SOURCES

NOTES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS