Rhodes attracts Hollywood cinematographers...

Rodiaki NewsRoom

Rhodes has always aroused inspiration to cinematographers and also served as the background of famous movies in the 1960’s and 1970’s, including some of the Hollywood finest actors, legends of that time including Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and of course the famous Greek actress Irene Pappa, with worldwide recognition.

In recent years a growing number of advertising productions choose Rhodes for its stunning physical scenery. So while in Rhodes, it is not uncommon to find yourself in front of a filming set.

Rhodes better known for the blockbuster, legendary movie the «Guns of Navarone», (1960) premiered worldwide in (1961), starring Oscar nominees, Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, scenes set on backgrounds of the archaeological sites in the medieval Old Town and Lindos. The beauty of the island captured with stunning scenery for a movie.

More than five decades later and even though its effects and technical features are outdated with the technology that Hollywood uses today, its artistic value is still recognized.

A war drama based on Alistair McLean's novella tells the adventure of a British team members from the Allied Forces in World War II, who try to destroy the huge cannons of the Nazis on the Greek island of Navarone. The film took a few months to wrap-up, sealing the impressions and beauty of Rhodes to Hollywood cinema!

The "Guns of Navarone" is the most famous and "adventurous" production ever made in Rhodes, the island has always been a source of inspiration for filmmakers.

One of the best known films "Escape to Athena" directed by George P. Cosmatos in 1979 with famous movie stars Roger Moore, Telly Savalas, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale and others.

Another popular film “Beyond Friendship” (2005) was filmed in Rhodes, a coproduction of six countries in total. It is one of the largest coproductions in Greece, with a budget of € 3.5 million. The film was shot in 45 different locations of Rhodes, directed by Elie Chouraqui starring Ian Holm, Tovah Feldshuh, Said Tagmaoui, J.J. Feild, Patrick Bruel and Maria Papas.

The film's script was inspired by the best-seller book of Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins and written by Elie Chouraqui and Didier Le Pecheu, based on true historical events that played a role and marked the road towards the development and independence of the people of Israel and Palestine. The film covers the history of the creation of the State of Israel and the parallel efforts to develop the relations between the two states.

"Swing Away" was filmed in the summer of 2015, shot in Lindos and Afandou on the east coast of Rhodes, a production by George Stephanopoulos starring Shannon Elizabeth, who also played in the movie “American Pie” with John O'Harley.

The background of the ”Swing Away” film starts with a professional failure of a Greek-American golf champion, who escapes to her grandparents' home in Greece, where he gets the chance to meet a young Greek woman with a talent in golf. A film of intrigue, humor, love, and of course a lot of golf.

In addition to the films mentioned above, where most of the scenes were filmed in Rhodes, there were so many other films produced by European and Greek film makers, such as “El Greco” which has a minor percentage of scenes filmed in Rhodes.

We hope to see a continuation of Rhodes scenes on the cinema and we are sure that the attractions in Rhodes will always be a popular choice for film makers!