Theodore Angelopoulos died on January 24th after being hit by a motorcycle in Athens

By Alexis Varouxakis*

I never really got a chance to properly thank you. Thank you for ‘Ulysses Gaze’, for ‘Landscape in the Mist’, for ‘The Travelling Players’ and for Eleni Karaindrou. On a more personal level, thank you for changing my life.

I was 19 when I came to work for a few months on the set of ‘Eternity and a Day’. It was the first time I was on a film set, the first time I met an actor. It was the first time I saw a production designer take a derelict house and transform it into a luxurious 19th century villa. And it was the first time that I got to work with a producer, a path I was to follow a few years later. The minute I set foot on the set, I felt at home. You and Mrs Phoebe made me feel welcome, you were both so gracious. ‘Eternity and a Day’ went on to win the ‘Palm d’Or’ at the Cannes Film Festival.

Since then you very kindly let me into your house and your family. I always felt welcome by you and the formidable Phoebe who I consider a second mother to me. You both gave me direction when I needed it. The most important thing you taught me, although indirectly, is to give back to the younger generation. Your door was always open for me, giving me advise, encouragement and guidance. It is a marvelous gift when someone who has reached the top takes the time to help the young.

I remember the conversations we had and with what intensity and focus you spoke. I always felt that you were never really present, or rather that you lived in two worlds. The material world had no meaning for you; you lived in the world of ideas, of dreams. It seemed to me that your body was only a vessel which allowed you to bring that other world, your real home, to this world. Your films, these images and moods you gave us, were part of that other world. And I know that there was so much more of that world that you wanted to show us.

I will never forget that summer day that changed me forever. You were setting up a shot on the beach. It was an ugly, deserted beach in the north of Greece. You put a few actors in the background and an actor with an accordion in the foreground and then.. and then you said ‘Action!’. Before my eyes something magical happened. This dead beach came to life. Out of nowhere you breathed life and color into something that was sad and void of life. Then time stopped. The sky opened and thunder struck me, electricity went through me and my hair stood on my body. It was at that moment that I said to myself: ‘I want to make films for the rest of my life’. It is to this day one of the most powerful experiences I have had. It is still what keeps me going today, that passion that was unleashed that summer day. For that and for everything else, thank you Mr Angelopoulos.

 

Alexis Varouxakis is a Hollywood based film producer

*Alexis Varouxakis is a Los Angeles based film producer. He is currently finishing post-production on ‘Dark Hearts’ a psychological thriller starring Kyle Schmid, Sonja Kinski, Lucas Till, Rachel Blanchard, Juliet Landau and Goran Visnjic. He has a number of films in development including ‘The Cure’ set in the Jazz world of 1950′s New Orleans. The film is inspired by the life of Chet Baker and Louis Armstrong.

Sasha Grey with first graders at Emerson Elementary School

Sasha Grey is proud of how she used to make her living and she is talking openly about it. Her job – at least until a few years ago – was this of an actress in pornographic movies.  Later, the Greek-American girl had a few opportunities to start acting in mainstream movies, and she did.

A few days ago media started firing at her for one more time when she wrote on her twitter account that she had volunteered to read for elementary school kids.

But who is Sasha and how did she transform from Porn Star to a mainstream actress?

Her real name according to wikipedia is Marina Ann Hantzis and she was born on March 14, 1988. After quitting porn and getting her mainstream feature film debut as the lead in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience, she shifted her focus to acting, starring in the black comedy/horror film Smash Cut as April Carson, as well as having a supporting role in season 7 of HBO’s Entourage. She has also appeared in independent films Quit, The Girl from the Naked Eye, and Mark Pellington’s I Melt With You.

And everything was going great for the young Sasha until she decided to volunteer for a school reading. She read a book to a group of underprivileged first graders at Emerson Elementary School in Los Angeles. The image of a former porn star walking in a school was spreading like fire on the internet and most rushed to criticize her community service. Outlets used Grey’s former profession in their headlines almost if she was going to read to students with the identity of a porn star. Here we need to note that school children could not know what was her former profession.

In regards to the incident, Grey said, “I believe in the future of our children, and I will remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives.”

Supposedly we live in a tolerant society, and someone’s sexual past should not be a factor when he or she does community service. In this case we should either ban porn consumers from community service too, or let Sasha participate as well.

Below you can see a clip from the View with Sasha responding to questions about the incident.

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