Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012!

Ancient Greek Theater Series: Scena Theatre Performs Homer's ILIAD

The Embassy of Greece is proud to present the first installment in its Ancient Greek Theater Series: a staged reading of Homer's The Iliad by Scena, Washington D.C.'s International Theatre on Wednesday, December 14 at 7pm at the Embassy of Greece.

The event will include a passionate staged reading of Book One of The Iliad ("The Wrath of Achilles") followed by a wine and cheese reception. The performance, directed by Robert McNamara, will feature favorite Scena actors and actresses: Kerry Waters, Eric Lucas, Lee Ordeman, Ellie Nicoll, Sissel Bakken, Lilia Slavova, Jenny Donovan, Irina Koval, Danielle Davy, and others.

Tickets for the event are $20 and can be purchased at http://www.instantseats.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.venue&venueID=86. Tickets must be purchased online in advance, as there will be no ticket sales at the door. The event will take place at the Embassy of Greece, 2217 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington D.C.

November-December Events at the Greek Embassy

The Greek Embassy is proud to present a varied selection of events to close out the month of November and welcome the month of December:

An Evening of Greek Dancing on November 29 at the Embassy of Greece, from 7:30pm-9:30pm; Join us for an evening of Greek dancing with the DYNAMI Greek Dance troupe. The event will feature a performance of traditional dances from all over Greece, followed by group lessons, so that you too can learn to dance Greek!

Odysseas Elytis: 100th Anniversary Celebration:

A) December 1 6:30-8:30pm at the Embassy of Greece: The Hellenic Foundation for Culture presents an exhibition, videos, and a lecture by Professor Peter Bien, who will talk about Elytis' life and work. Elytis' books will be showcased by the Library of Congress and other collections.

B) December 5 6:30-8:30pm at Georgetown University's Copley Formal Lounge: The Modern Greek Department of Georgetown University will present a lecture, poetry readings, and live singing of Elytis' poems set to music.

C) January 12 at the Library of Congress - Stay tuned for more details!

Panorama of Greek Cinema on December 7 at 8:00pm at the Avalon Theater; The Embassy of Greece and the Greek Film Centre present the much-acclaimed comedy The Riders of Pylos (Comedy, 2011, 35mm, color, 98', Dolby Digital), directed and screen-written by Nikos Kaloyeropoulos.

Greek Olive Oil's Medicinal Properties and Tasting on December 8 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Greek Embassy; Dr. Gary Beauchamp, Director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA, will discuss his latest research results, explaining in compelling lay language olive oil's anti-inflammatory effects. The lecture will be followed by a delicious olive oil tasting!

Ancient Greek Theater at 7:00pm at the Greek Embassy; Scena Theater presents a staged reading of Homer's classic The Iliad.

Ancient Greek Medicine in the Twenty First Century

On Thursday, November 10, from 6:30pm-8:3pm the Embassy of Greece will proudly present its next installment in the series "Health, Nutrition, and Fitness: From Ancient to Modern Times", a presentation by Alain Toulwaide titled "Ancient Greek Medicine in the Twenty First Century". Dr. Toulwaide is the Scientific Director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions and a Research Associate at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

Ancient Greek manuscripts have brought into the 21st century the knowledge, science, and wisdom of ancient Greek physicians and healers, who were able to use with great efficacy the therapeutic properties of natural substances. Nowadays, this body of knowledge is still unique source of information for medical research and a healthy living. Dr. Toulwaide will present highlights from the results of his long lasting research and his prestigious collection of ancient medical manuscripts located at the Smithsonian Institution.

This is sure to be an informative and interesting evening, so please RSVP to rsvpculture@greekembassy.org in order to reserve your spot!

Greek Films Highlighted in Upcoming EU Showcase

Recently, the Washington Post lauded the two Greek films featured in the 24th annual AFI European Union Film Showcase, Attenberg and Wasted Youth. These two films, touted by Ann Hornada as the "highlights at this year's showcase", bring the best of Greek modern cinema to Washington, D.C.

Attenberg, directed and produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari, tells the story of a young woman's encounters with death and love as she splits her time between her dying father and her endearing friend Bella. This film has received much critical acclaim in Greece and abroad and is Greece's 2011 Oscar selection. Directed and produced by Argyris Dimitropoulos, Wasted Youth chronicles the parallel stories of a father and son who do not see eye to eye. Both films will be presented in Greek with English subtitles.

The showings for Attenberg will be on Sunday November 6 at 9:20pm and Tuesday November 8 at 9:20pm. The showings for Wasted Youth will take place on Friday November 11 at 7:00pm and Sunday November 13 at 7:45pm.

For information regarding tickets and showings, please visit: http://www.afi.com/silver/new/nowplaying/EUshowcase/.

To read the Washington Post's article, please visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/eu-film-showcase-at-afi-silver-balance-of-power-is-temporarily-tipped/2011/11/03/gIQANLEKnM_story.html

Flavors of Greece on the Travel Channel

The Travel Channel's Flavors of... series is introducing six new episodes featuring the delicious and diverse cuisine of Greece. Charlie Ottley, who hosts the program, has traveled to countries all over the world, including Spain, Peru, Scotland, and Mexico, to present viewers with the best of each country's culinary specialties. In this fascinating series, he visits six different regions of Greece, exploring their sights and sampling native delicacies.

The first episode takes place in Crete, where Ottley visits an organic farm south of Chania and discovers the secrets of making olive oil in Kritsa. In the second episode, Ottley learns how Ouzo and the famous masticha from Chios are produced on the Dodecanesian islands. The subsequent episodes follow Ottley to Athens, the Cyclades, Kalymnos, Central Greece, Northern Greece, and Western Greece.

During his travels, Ottley experiences not only Greece's delicious foods, but also its exciting activities. Highlights of his trip include sailing around the Ionian islands and celebrating Carnival on the island of Patras. So if you are interested in Greek cuisine, travel, or adventure, you will not want to miss this series!

For more information on showtimes, please visit: http://www.travelchannel.co.uk/series-info.asp?series=Flavours+of+Greece&ID=1504#.Tq8I8FavMwQ

PANORAMA OF GREEK CINEMA: The Cherry Orchard

The Embassy of Greece in collaboration with the Greek Film Center and support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece present the next installment of the Greek film series Panorama of Greek Cinema. This month's film will be The Cherry Orchard on Wednesday Nov. 2 at 8:00pm at the Avalon Theater.

This Greek-French-Cypriot co-production directed and produced by Michael Cacoyannis is actually an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's final drama. Set in turn of the century Russia, it chronicles the story of a woman who returns to her family's estate after five years away. She struggles to reestablish her place in the home and society amidst a climate of political and social upheaval, but also with the painful memories of her son's death. The star-studded international cast includes Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, and Frances de la Tour.

For tickets and more information, please visit: http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/avalon/advance?i=11358.

The Avalon Theater is located at 5612 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington DC 20015.