Original subtitles

[bright music]

[narrator] at the southern and eastern fringes

Of the aegean sea

Lie some of greece's largest islands.

These places seem remote today,

But once they stood at the center of human innovation.

[bright music]

Many of the values of greek and western civilization

Were first born and nurtured here.

Crete,

Samos,

Chios,

Rhodes,

And the dodecanese.

Places of mesmerizing beauty

And priceless heritage.

Crete, the home of ancient palaces

And the sinister legend of the minotaur,

Rhodes, the island once ruled by warrior monks

Born in the turmoil of the crusades.

And the acropolis of lindos

Where roger moore ran a pow camp

In a classic world war ii movie.

Observe the spellbinding

Decorations of a painted village

And the restaurant where customers get plates

Broken on their heads.

Discover a monastery where women who wish to conceive

Hope their prayers will be answered.

The stunning classical site that gave birth

To the most sacred oath in medicine.

[bright music]

The tranquil island that could erupt anytime

Into chaos and destruction.

[ground rumbles]

The vibrant performers who give life

To the culture of ancient crete,

And the idyllic beach

Where zorba the greek danced.

[bright music]

[lively vibrant music]

[upbeat music]

At the southeastern fringes of the aegean sea

Lie greece's most far flung islands, the dodecanese.

The name dodecanese means 12 islands.

In fact, this archipelago is made up of 15 large islands,

And as many as 150 small ones.

Throughout history, the dodecanese

Have been caught in the crossfire of war and invasion

From the ottoman turks, to the italians, and germans.

This could be why they are perhaps the most diverse

And cosmopolitan of all the greek islands.

Nowhere is this more apparent

Than in the largest of the dodecanese.

Some call it the island of roses,

For others it is the island of the sun.

But many others know it as the one time home

Of a gigantic statue, the colossus.

This is rhodes.

[dramatic music]

Mandraki, the harbor of rhodes.

[dramatic music]

The harbor is not only home to a superb marina,

It's also a commercial hub with floating shops

And a floating restaurant.

But thousands of years ago in the 3rd century bc,

Approaching seafarers beheld a more awe-inspiring sight.

In "game of thrones", the seaport of braavos

Is guarded by the titan of braavos,

A huge statue that stands with one foot planted

On either side of the harbor.

This dramatic idea

Is inspired by a real-life marvel

That may have stood here at mandraki harbor

Over 2,000 years ago.

A gigantic bronze statue of the sun god helios,

The colossus of rhodes.

The colossus of rhodes was one of

The seven wonders of the ancient world.

The ancients built it out of gratitude to helios,

Who they believed protected their city from capture.

[dramatic music]

But the statue did not straddle the harbor.

No one is certain where it stood,

But it may have been here on the spot

Now occupied by the castle of st. Nicholas.

At around 110 feet tall,

The colossus would have dwarfed

The present day castle.

[dramatic music]

It took 12 years to build,

But sadly, stood for only 54.

Around 228 bc, an earthquake destroyed it,

And its huge broken pieces lay scattered

For a thousand years before being melted down as scrap.

In recent years,

A group of european architects

Put forward ambitious plans to rebuild the statue,

This time to a height of 500 feet.

The medieval city of rhodes

Is one of the world's most important historical sites.

Most of these buildings have stood here

For over 600 years, continuously occupied.

[dramatic music]

This powerful medieval wall that surrounds the old town

Runs for 2.5 miles.

It's guarded by 11 gates.

The most impressive is the marine gate.

Constructed in 1478,

It was the main entrance to the town from the harbor,

And inside these walls, there stands an architectural marvel.

[dramatic music]

This is the palace of the grand masters,

Built by one of the most famous military orders in history,

The knights of saint john of jerusalem.

Founded during the crusades,

These christian warrior monks

Had a presence in the holy land

For almost 200 years,

But when the muslim forces

Finally drove the crusaders out in 1291,

The knights looked to establish a new center of power.

[dramatic music]

In 1309, they came to rhodes.

In the heart of the old city,

They built this stunning palace

To function as an administrative center

And a residence for their grand masters.

[dramatic music]

Now a museum,

The palace boasts a magnificent courtyard.

Standing sentinel here are statues of roman emperors,

Recovered from the ruins of an ancient theater

On the nearby island of kos.

[dramatic music]

The palace is built in the gothic style,

A rare example of this type of architecture in greece.

It served not only as a palace,

But also a fortress.

In 1481, these mighty battlements

Were almost leveled by an earthquake.

But the most dramatic moment in the palace's history

Came some 40 years later,

When a turkish army laid siege to it.

Only a few thousand knights faced

A determined assault by 100,000 turks.

[dramatic music]

Despite a valiant effort,

The knights could not withstand the siege.

Forced to abandon the palace,

They left rhodes, never to return.

[gentle music]

Rhodes' history has had its fair share of dark episodes.

[somber music]

None more so than during world war ii,

When the italians, allies of nazi germany, were in control.

Under italian rule,

The island's jewish community

Was left relatively undisturbed.

But when the germans occupied rhodes, everything changed.

Below a green canopy,

A small monument commemorates

The horrific events of 1944,

When the nazis rounded up 1,800

Jewish men, women, and children.

[somber music]

They dispatched these innocent civilians

To a sinister destination,

Auschwitz-birkenau concentration camp.

1,604 rhodeian jews died at auschwitz.

[somber music]

In their memory, this square is called,

The square of the jewish martyrs.

[somber music]

The nazis set out to obliterate

All traces of the jewish presence on rhodes,

And almost succeeded.

Today very few jews live on the island.

But the square of the jewish martyrs

Has also seen lighter moments.

[light jovial music]

In 1979 greek-american actor telly savalas,

Best known for his role as kojak,

Filmed a scene here.

Kojak is a tough, hard-bitten cop,

But in the world war ii film "escape to athena",

Savalas shows a more romantic side.

He and leading lady claudia cardinale

Have a famous dance scene here in front

Of the square's seahorse fountain.

[bright jovial music]

The producers of "escape to athena"

Found their most dramatic location

On rhode's southeast coast,

The acropolis of lindos.

In the film,

Roger moore of james bond fame,

Plays an austrian general

Who is obsessed with greek antiquities.

The acropolis of lindos doubles

As the fictional mount athena,

Where moore runs a pow camp.

The prisoners are forced to excavate ruins

In return for more favorable treatment.

[dramatic music]

The events of the film are fictional.

But in real life,

The nazis were all too adept

At looting priceless artifacts

From archaeological sites.

The acropolis of lindos has been an important place

For thousands of years.

[gentle music]

The ancient greeks and romans

Recognized the strategic significance of this location,

Which guards an important sea lane

Between europe and the middle east.

From the calm waters of the mediterranean,

Rugged cliffs ascend 300 feet

To the acropolis.

[gentle music]

Here the ancients constructed

A great temple to the goddess athena lindia.

[dramatic music]

Many centuries later,

The knights of saint john took over the acropolis

And built these magnificent walls.

[dramatic music]

"escape to athena" isn't the only film shot

On this stunning pinnacle.

In 1961, gregory peck and anthony quinn

Came here to film another world war ii blockbuster,

"the guns of navarone".

In the film peck and quinn play allied soldiers

Who disguise themselves as greek fishermen

And sail across the aegean to fight the nazis.

[dramatic music]

Unsurprisingly, the cast of "navarone"

Were entranced by their surroundings.

[gentle music]

So much so, that one of them wanted

To forge a permanent link with rhodes.

[serene music]

Further north along the coast,

Lies one of the island's most picturesque inlets.

This is anthony quinn bay, named for the actor.

In "navarone", quinn played a greek commando

And a few years later he had an even more famous role

As zorba the greek in the film of the same name.

Ironically, though, quinn himself had no greek blood.

He was actually mexican-american.

Quinn discovered this bay and its beach

While filming "the guns of navarone".

He fell in love with the place and decided to buy it.

The authorities agreed that the actor

Could have it for a symbolic sum

In return for his role in publicizing rhodes

But they reneged on the promise,

And the purchase was annulled.

Quinn vowed never to visit rhodes again.

[dramatic music]

More than 50 years later

The dispute remains unresolved,

With quinn's widow katherine

Still seeking compensation from the greek authorities.

[bright music]

This sprawling hill on rhodes's east coast

Has a unique purpose.

Two women and a child climb toward the summit.

[birds chirping]

They're on a pilgrimage to the monastery of tsambika,

A byzantine church dedicated to the virgin mary.

But this is no ordinary pilgrimage.

It's said that if a woman climbs

The 292 steps to the monastery

And prays to the icon of the virgin mary,

She will be granted a child within a year.

[bright music]

The monastery is a magnet for childless women,

Who come to revere the 11th-century icon,

Particularly on September 8th,

The day of tsambika's festival.

-[birds chirping] -[bright music]

The belief could have its origins

In the legend of artemis,

The ancient greek goddess of fertility and midwives.

Some believe that an altar to the goddess

Stood on this dizzying peak.

Many women have had their prayers answered,

And as a thank you,

Some name their children tsambikos

Or tsambika after the monastery.

Northwest of rhodes

Lies one of the jewels of the dodecanese.

[dramatic music]

Basking in the aegean sun,

Symi island and its harbor gialos

Have long been a magnet for jet setters and celebrities.

Maybe it's the colorful neoclassical facades

That line the harbor.

Or perhaps it's the entrancing maze of lane ways

In the upper town of horio.

[bright music]

Whatever the reason,

Famous stars and politicians,

From mariah carey and michael douglas,

To george bush senior and silvio berlusconi,

Have made multiple visits to symi.

[bright music]

At a fish restaurant on the seafront,

The clients witness a bizarre spectacle.

Owner manos magkos smashes plates,

First on the ground

And then on their heads.

Princess beatrice, of the british royal family,

Famously received this treatment

When she visited the restaurant.

-[bright music] -[patrons laughing]

This custom, known as the killing of plates,

Is an age-old tradition on symi.

Its purpose was to drive away evil spirits,

But these days it's done more for fun and entertainment.

It might just be the most enjoyable thing to do in symi.

[dramatic music]

Further down the waterfront

Is another restaurant with a colorful history.

[dramatic music]

Restaurant l-o-s art yacht club,

With its striking red facade,

Hosted one of most famous peace accords in greek history.

On may 8, 1945,

The nazis finally surrendered to the allies here,

Marking the end of world war ii in greece.

[dramatic music]

The asclepeion on the island of kos

Is one of the most momentous

Classical sites in all of greece.

It's named for asclepius,

The greek god of healing and medicine

Who was banished to earth by his father, apollo.

[dramatic music]

Asclepius is said to have learned

The art of healing from a centaur.

The legend inspired the ancient greeks

To build institutions dedicated to medicine,

The world's first hospitals.

[dramatic music]

History's most renowned physician trained here.

[birds chirping]

His name was hippocrates,

And today he's best known for the hippocratic oath.

The oath arose from a code of medical ethics

Devised by hippocrates.

Those who took it pledged to do no harm to their patients

And treat them to the best of their ability.

[gentle music]

Many modern medical schools still use the oath,

Or parts of it, in their graduation ceremonies.

[dramatic music]

The asclepeion was a center of healing

Until the 4th century ad,

When two successive earthquakes forced out its residents.

But to this day it is renowned for its scientific approach

To medical diagnosis and treatment.

[bright music]

Just south of kos, on the island of nisyros,

It seems possible to step right into a story

From greek myth and legend.

Beneath the surface of this rocky islet,

A powerful being known as a titan can be heard groaning.

He has been known to erupt with devastating power.

According to mythology,

This place was the scene of an epic battle

Between the titan and the sea god poseidon.

[suspenseful music]

This small church overlooks a magnificent valley.

Here, poseidon crushed the titan with a gigantic rock.

-[suspenseful music] -[greek gods growling]

Or so it seemed to the ancients.

Because nisyros is home to the stefanos crater,

A dormant volcano that last erupted in 1933.

Oval in shape,

Stefanos measures 853 feet across

And 88 feet deep.

It's one of the largest and best-preserved

Hydrothermal craters in the world.

Surprisingly, people are free to walk

On the crater if they wish.

They are only advised not to approach the holes,

Where the surface is known to give way suddenly.

[gentle music]

North of the dodecanese,

The islands of samos and chios

Guard the approaches to turkey's western coast.

They share a common history since ancient times,

When they were the stepping-stones

Of trade, shipping, and communication

Between asia and europe.

[gentle music]

Since they were first settled around 5,000 bc,

The islands have passed through the hands

Of every major mediterranean civilization,

From the greeks, to the egyptians,

To the romans in the first century bc.

[dramatic music]

In the middle ages,

Control passed to the ottoman empire,

Which held sway until 1912,

When the islands were finally incorporated

Into the greek state.

[dramatic music]

Tucked inside a sheltered bay,

Samos port has given birth to ships for over 2,000 years.

In 250 bc, the entire egyptian navy was based here,

And for good reason.

[gentle music]

Samian shipbuilders were famous

For their boat building skills,

Especially the tough wooden hulls

Made from local wood.

For centuries, samian pine was prized

By every shipyard in greece

For its sturdiness and high resin content.

By the 20th century, however,

The demand for wooden hulls

Had diminished.

[gentle music]

The bay of agios isidoros

Is home to the island's last surviving shipyard.

[gentle music]

[hammers thudding]

Here, two craftsmen use samian pine

To create sturdy fishing boats

Known as trechantiria.

[upbeat music]

-Vavellis manoliadis, -[saw buzzing]

Seen here plane-ing wood,

Works alongside his friend kiriakos.

They're the only local shipbuilders

Who still use traditional methods.

[upbeat music]

Fifty years ago, there were 100 shipbuilders working here,

But now there is only vavellis and kiriakos.

Depending on size,

The two men can build an average of five boats a year.

But these vessels have to be durable.

They're intended for local fishermen,

Who will spend a lot of time on the open seas.

[upbeat music]

In the past, pirates also roamed these seas.

Northwest of samos,

They targeted another lonely island.

[gentle music]

The greek island of chios

Is home to a village like no other.

Pyrgi is famed for the curious black and white

Geometric motifs, called xysta,

That adorn its facades.

So much so, that it's called the painted village.

This decorative technique,

Much like the italians graffiti,

Is produced by applying layers of plaster

Tinted in contrasting colors

To a moistened surface.

[dramatic music]

Pyrgi still retains its original

10th century medieval structure

With narrow streets, vaults, and arches.

It may be the most well-maintained village

On chios.

[dramatic music]

Another of chios's towns could not be more different.

[dramatic music]

The byzantine tower-village of anavatos

Hugs a granite peak at the island's center.

Now deserted its crumbling dwellings rise up

To a medieval stronghold at the summit.

[dramatic music]

In the past this was a military position,

Most likely set up to defend against the pirates

That plagued the island's coasts.

The pirates attacked anavatos regularly

In the 18th and 19th centuries.

Then, after a catastrophic earthquake in 1881,

The village was finally abandoned.

Today, it is well preserved

And eerily quiet,

The very epitome of a ghost town.

Marking the southern boundary of the aegean sea,

Is the largest of all the greek islands.

[dramatic music]

Crete is 160 miles long

And 37 miles wide at its broadest,

So it's no wonder that its inhabitants

Call it megalonisos, the great island.

But they're not just talking about its size.

They're also talking about its status,

Because this is where it all began.

[bright music]

If greece is the cradle of european civilization,

Then crete is the cradle of greece.

Long before classical greek civilization

Arose on the mainland,

A sophisticated society flourished

On this spectacular island,

The minoans.

[bright music]

The minoans ruled crete from around 3000 to 1100 bc.

They left behind stunning physical remains

And magnificent palaces.

[dramatic music]

The greatest of all

Is the palace of knossos,

Which flourished for over a thousand years.

As a major center of trade,

It had links with many ports and cities

In the eastern mediterranean.

In its day knossos was a marvel,

Boasting spectacular royal buildings,

Extensive workshops,

And luxurious rock-cut tombs.

But in time, the minoans were superseded

By the mycenaean culture

That arose on mainland greece.

Around 1400 bc,

A mysterious fire destroyed much of knossos.

The town that survived was a shadow of its former glory.

Knossos again came to prominence in the early 20th century

When british archaeologist arthur evans

Excavated and restored it.

Today the site covers about 150,000 square feet.

Knossos is a mystifying place.

We'll never fully understand the minoan culture

That built this great complex.

But what really captures the imagination here

Is the legend of a fearsome creature,

Half man and half bull,

The minotaur.

-[creature growls] -[suspenseful music]

The ruler of knossos, king minos

Imprisoned the creature in a dark labyrinth,

A maze of twisting passages.

The minotaur lurked in the shadows,

Devouring anyone unlucky enough

To be thrown into the labyrinth.

Until, at last,

The hero theseus killed him.

The origins of the legend may lie in seismic activity.

Knossos lies at the center of an earthquake zone.

Some believed that the rumbling of the earth

Was the sound of the minotaur roaring.

Arthur evans believed that legend originated

In the minoan sport of bull jumping,

Shown in frescoes on the palace walls.

[dramatic music]

By grabbing the bull's horns

And leaping back over the animal,

Man and bull appeared to be one creature.

But did the labyrinth exist?

The question has mystified visitors to knossos

For many years.

Some believe the palace itself was the labyrinth,

And it does have a maze-like appearance,

With many confusing passageways and dead ends.

[gentle music]

The minoan civilization may have

Died out thousands of years ago,

But its spirit is very much alive among cretans today.

The minoan theater is a group of young dancers

Who recreate the ancient minoans' flamboyant performances

Including the bull dance.

[pleasant ambient music]

Like their ancient ancestors,

The dancers leap energetically over a bull,

Not a live one, thankfully.

[pleasant ambient music]

Evaggelia orfanoudaki

Is a traditional greek dancer.

She has been performing with the minoan theater since 2011.

[lively music]

She practices every day

To perfect the intricate dance moves and techniques.

Evaggelia and her fellow dancers

Enjoy keeping this important tradition alive.

But the women are not just dancers.

They also see themselves as priestesses inspired by nature.

By dancing, they pray to the mother goddess,

Represented by an ancient olive tree

That faces the theater.

[dramatic music]

It's no surprise that nature

Is important to the cretan people,

Given their magnificent surroundings.

In the southwest of crete,

Stands a majestic limestone mountain range.

[dramatic music]

This is lefka ori,

The white mountains,

Known for its spectacular plateaus and gorges

That run like tunnels through the rock.

[dramatic music]

The most impressive is samaria gorge.

From the coastal village of agia roumeli,

The gorge climbs steadily into the mountains.

Covering ten miles,

It's one of europe's longest canyons.

At its highest point,

The gorge will reach 1,250 feet.

The steep rock faces and raw beauty

Make samaria gorge one of crete's

Most popular hiking destinations.

[dramatic music]

It also boasts impressive expanses

Of high-altitude mediterranean forest.

Pine, cypress, and phrygana trees all thrive here.

In the past this was a rich source of timber,

But these days the gorge enjoys special protection

As a unesco world biosphere reserve.

And yet there is danger amid the beauty.

[tense music]

Some steep sections are prone to rock falls.

[tense music]

Not far away, another canyon cuts through the mountains.

With its dusty yellow appearance,

It seems to belong more to the american west

Than the southern mediterranean.

This is aradena gorge,

Famed for its steep walls

That ascend vertically for 500 feet.

It's also home to a small community.

This pickup truck is heading for the area's

Only inhabited village.

Beyond the gorge, agios ioannis village

Is separated from the rest of crete.

But it does have one important lifeline.

The aradena bridge crosses the narrow gorge

At an altitude of 453 feet.

This is a bailey bridge,

A type of prefabricated bridge

That can be transported easily

And assembled by hand.

British engineers first developed these structures

For military use during world war ii.

Today, the ardena bridge

Is the highest of its kind in the world.

Constructed using a steel structure and wooden planks,

It's 275 feet long.

[upbeat music]

The bridge owes its existence

To two local businessmen,

The vardinoviannis brothers.

They commissioned it to give their community

A link to the outside world.

Without the bridge,

Agios ioannis would have been abandoned.

Now, locals like manolis orfanoudakis

Can reach the village easily.

But when a vehicle crosses the bridge,

The serene atmosphere is shattered.

The sound of tires on the wooden planks

-Creates a thundering echo -[planks rumbling]

That can be heard throughout the canyon.

It's also not safe to be under the bridge,

Because passing vehicles often dislodge debris,

And send it crashing into the depths.

[gentle music]

At matala on crete's southern coast

Lies a beach and a cliff with a unique story.

Honeycombed with dozens of small caves,

The rock face looks like a giant beehive.

The island's early stone age inhabitants

Cut the caves out of the cliff face

Thousands of years ago.

Some believe they used them as tombs,

But it's just as likely they were living spaces.

[upbeat music]

In more recent times,

The caves of matala became an iconic hippie destination.

[upbeat music]

In the 1960's,

The arrival of long-haired, guitar-strumming americans

Completely shook up the sleepy fishing village of matala.

Famously, bob dylan,

Joan baez, and cat stevens,

Are all said to have been attracted

To this bohemian haven.

[people laughing]

[upbeat music]

But singer joni mitchell

Has the closest connection with matala.

In 1970,

Mitchell came to live in the caves

Following her painful break-up

From fellow songsmith graham nash.

At the time, matala village

Had only two restaurants and a bakery,

And joni adored the wholesome local cuisine.

By the end of a four-month stay, she had grown homesick,

But the experience inspired some of the songs

On her acclaimed album "blue".

Joni mitchell may have found peace and love on crete,

But the island has also known war and turmoil.

[dramatic music]

The city of chania on crete's north coast

Looks peaceful today.

But 80 years ago, at the height of world war ii,

It was overrun with armed soldiers.

The germans invaded greece in April 1941,

And quickly overran the mainland.

After a few weeks,

Only crete still held out

Against the might of nazi germany.

With the british navy in control of the seas,

The germans were unwilling to risk an amphibious assault.

Instead, hitler decided on a new and daring tactic.

On may 20, 1941,

Dozens of german planes appeared in the sky over chania.

They were not bombers,

But transport aircraft,

Carrying a human cargo.

-[dramatic music] -[planes roaring]

When the planes jettisoned their loads,

Swarms of paratroopers darkened the sky.

Some 10,000 german paratroopers descended on crete.

For the first time in history,

An invading force had arrived mainly by air.

[suspenseful music]

The germans faced a combined allied and greek army.

Although the force was 40,000 strong,

It was short on weapons and heavy artillery.

[dramatic music]

Even so, the allies inflicted heavy losses

On the german paratroopers.

But then the germans took control,

Forcing the allies into a slow retreat

Toward the island's south coast.

[somber music]

Many of those who fell in the conflict are buried here

In the allied war cemetery at souda bay.

The british lost almost 4,000 men in the battle of crete,

With 11,000 more captured.

This cemetery is a grim reminder

Of the terrible toll the war took on human life,

Not only in crete, but around the world.

[somber music]

[birds chirping]

Further along the island's coast,

Is a colorful spot.

The sand of elafonisi beach

Has a remarkable pinkish hue.

But it's not the sand itself that is pink.

In fact, the color is produced

By thousands of broken seashells.

The shells belong to a type of oyster

Named foraminifera.

When they're crushed,

Their red color mingles with the sand,

Giving it a pink hue.

[gentle music]

This combined with the clear green-blue waters

Gives the impression of an exotic paradise,

And it's no surprise

That elafonisi is consistently voted

One of the world's most majestic beaches.

Due north of elafonisi,

Near crete's northwestern tip,

Lies another special beach.

[dramatic music]

The lagoon of balos

Is possibly the most photographed body of water

In all of crete.

A pale sandy beach surrounds the turquoise lagoon,

Which attracts holidaymakers from all over.

The lagoon and its surroundings

Are a haven for rare flora and fauna.

To protect it, the government has banned

The high-rise hotels and commercial buildings

That often blight beauty spots.

Two of the lagoon's most famous visitors

Were prince charles and princess diana.

[upbeat music]

In 1981, the royal couple honeymooned

On the mediterranean.

Their yacht, the britannia,

Dropped anchor here at balos.

[upbeat music]

These days, a cruise ship,

The gramvousa,

Makes regular trips to the lagoon.

[upbeat music]

Tourists disembark and swarm onto the beach,

Looking rather like invading soldiers.

[bright music]

It could almost be a d-day landing scene

From "saving private ryan"

If it wasn't for the pristine weather

And tranquil surroundings.

When it comes to ideas for hollywood movies,

Crete is not lacking.

A native son inspired two very famous

And very different films.

[dramatic music]

Perched on a hill outside crete's capital city, heraklion,

Is the tomb of the man who wrote

"the last temptation of christ".

Nikos kazantzakis

Remains one of greece's most famous writers.

So why is he buried in this lonely place,

Marked only by a simple cross and stone slab?

Kazantzakis was born in heraklion in 1883.

He traveled widely abroad,

Returning to greece just before world war ii.

In 1955, he published "the last temptation of christ",

Which depicts a jesus with all too human frailties,

Fear, doubts,

Depression, and lust.

The novel caused major controversy,

And the greek orthodox church excommunicated kazantzaskis.

He was not permitted to be buried in a cemetery.

So, in his will,

He asked to be buried outside the walls of his hometown.

In 1988,

The controversy flared again

When martin scorsese directed a film based on the novel.

By then, kazantzakis was long dead.

The famous epitaph on his tomb reads,

"I hope for nothing.

I fear nothing.

I am free."

[light pleasant music]

These sentiments have an eloquent basis

In kazantzakis's other great novel "zorba the greek".

First published in 1946,

"zorba the greek" was made into a film

Starring anthony quinn and alan bates.

The film's most iconic scene was shot here on stavros beach.

Here, the viglatores dance group performs

A greek folk dance called the sirtaki,

Made famous by the film.

"zorba the greek" was a box office smash hit

And scooped three academy awards.

To outsiders, the film seems to epitomize greece,

But it does take certain liberties.

[light pleasant music]

The film tells the tale of basil,

A reserved english writer who travels to crete on business.

While there, basil meets the extrovert greek alexis zorba

And his life changes forever.

In the film's closing scene,

Basil and zorba perform the sirtaki on stavros beach.

Sirtaki can be danced in line or circle formation

With hands on neighbors' shoulders.

But the dance has a secret.

It's pure hollywood.

Choreographer giorgos provias created it for the film.

[lively dance music]

Set to music by famous greek composer

Mikis theodorakis,

Zorba's dance became a worldwide hit.

As the film closes,

Basil has learned to breakout of his shell and embrace life.

Like nikos kazantzakis himself,

He has learned to hope for nothing,

To fear nothing,

And to be free.

A sentiment that appeals to many who visit crete

And the enchanting islands of greece.