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Greek cinema was divided -in the same way as the majority of cultural events of that period-
with reference to its subjects and aesthetic directions. On the one hand there was a tendency
towards the modern achievements of western culture, of its standards and culture and on
the other hand there was a devotion to the eastern, Greek-Orthodox tradition and demotic
and folklore habits combined with selective readings of antiquity. State intervention (awards,
sponsorships etc.) and isolated cases of box-office successes and international awards (T.
Angelopoulos-Venice Festival) were far from negating the fact that a large number of people
turned away from the "Seventh Art".
In the field of theatre the establishment of the municipal provincial theatres constituted
an important attempt for autonomous development of the province, often excluded from the
developments. Experimental theatres coexisted with companies of popular actors, presenting
a diversified repertoire with emphasis on Greek drama, which dealt with the passions and
the course of modern Greeks. Television dominated completely basing on the standards of
a consuming society (spectacles with no essence, self-centric ideology), which promoted
them so as to function at the expense of approaches and visions with cultural content. The
music industry dominated either selling out a tradition of questioning (rock), or suggesting
the light, widely popular song (pop). However, many "popular" or "modern"
creators started or continued a personal, clear course, achieving fertile results and significant
appeal.
The image of Greece in the 80s would not be complete without a reference to developments
in sport. Both in individual (wrestling-1980, javelin-1982) and team sports (basket-1987)
recorded important successes, unprecedented for the country, influencing greatly future
events but also setting the basis for the recognition of the country's importance at international
level. .
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