The Owl's Legacy (1989)

THE OWL’S LEGACY is an intellectually agile, engaging, and sometimes biting look at ancient Greece, its influences on Western culture—and how many eras have reinterpreted the Greek legacy to reflect their own needs. Each of the 13 episodes is centered on a potent Greek word: from “democracy” and “philosophy” to “mythology” and “misogyny.” Marker convenes and films symposia—meals featuring wine and thoughtful conversation—in locales including Paris, Tokyo, Tbilisi, Berkeley, and an olive grove on Athens’ outskirts. Footage from these banquets is interspersed with archival materials and interviews (often featuring a stylized or distorted owl image looming in the background). Marker’s diverse group of informants includes composers, politicians, classicists, historians, scientists, writers, filmmakers, and actors. Together their contributions form a compelling (and sometimes contradictory) cultural and historical exploration for each theme.

Released June 11, 1989 26 min Episode 26 min None+

Genres: Documentary, History

Keywords: tmdb.politics, tmdb.philosophy, mdblist.imdb-tv-mini-series, mdblist.has-trailer, imdb.greek-history, imdb.tv-mini-series

Production Companies: Attica Art Productions, FIT Productions, La Sept Cinéma

Network: La Sept

Country: France
Languages: English, French