Categories: ARTSFILMGreek NEWS

Alexander Payne: The famous Greek-American director at the official premiere of his film in Athens

The nominee for five Oscars, "Children of Winter", is released in Greek theatres today, 25 January.

The latest film of the internationally renowned Greek-American director and screenwriter Alexander Payne, who has already won two awards at the Golden Globes and is nominated in five different categories of this year's Oscars (Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing) ), is released in Greek theatres on January 25.

The Film Studies department of Deree - American College of Greece students and representatives of the artistic and journalistic world who watched the film first were excited both by its premise and the overall final result.

Children of Winter, the cinematic reunion of Alexander Payne with recent Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti, is set on an empty New England campus in the distant winter of 1970. It follows a twisted professor at an American college of high standing who is forced to stay on campus during his Christmas vacation to look after his few students, who have nowhere else to go. Eventually, he develops an unlikely relationship with one of them—a damaged, genius troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa)—and the college's head cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), who has just lost her son in the Vietnam War.

The film, which stands out for its retro atmosphere and excellent performances, co-stars D'Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sesha.

Payne is best known for the films Citizen Ruth (1996), Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011), Nebraska (2013) and Downsizing (2017). He has also won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay twice and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times.

The famous director was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Peggy and George Payne, restaurant owners. His father is of Greek and German descent, and his mother is of Greek descent.

Payne’s paternal grandfather, Nicholas “Nick” Payne, was surnamed “Papadopoulos”. His family comes from three regions of Greece: Syros, Livadia and Aegio.

In February 2022, he took Greek citizenship after being an honorary citizen of Aegio for six years.

READ MORE: Yellow: Another film with a Greek signature receives BAFTA nomination – Poor Things with 11 nominations.

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