|
Film crew granted rare access to Acropolis for comedy shoot
2006-09-18
The Acropolis in Athens is to provide the backdrop for a Hollywood comedy after guardians of the site granted exceptional permission to film there, the film's producer said. Greece's Central Council of Archaeology, KAS, agreed to let Greek-Canadian actress Nia Vardalos shoot "My Life in Ruins" at a number of famous ancient sites including Delphi, Olympia, Thermopyles and Epidaurus, Mark Hufam said. The authorisation represents a coup for the production as it is usually forbidden to shoot films at ancient Greek sites. Nia Vardalos found fame in 2002 with her surprise hit comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," a huge success at the US box office. According to Hufam, Vardalos's origins and the success of her previous Greek-themed film helped convince the archeologists, as did the prospect that the film's subject would encourage tourism at the ancient sites. "My Life in Ruins", due to start shooting in late October, tells the story of a group of tourists who discover ancient Greece at the hands of a Greek-American guide, played by Vardalos. Following the success of the 2004 Athens Olympics, Greece's conservative government has repeatedly said it wants to make more of the country's heritage, and encouraging foreign film crews to shoot here is part of that effort. The authorities have nevertheless refused to allow advertisements to be shot on ancient sites. The last filmmaker to be granted access to the Acropolis was Francis Ford Coppola in the late 1980s for "My Life Without Zoe", an episode of "New York Stories."
| 
