The Magic of Ancient Greek Civilization comes to life in the Giant Screen Adventure “GREECE: SECRETS OF THE PAST” directed by two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Greg MacGillivray, is the stirring story of how a Greek archeologist of the 21st century is uncovering the secret history of his ancient ancestors who forged a society that continues to astound the world today with its ideas, inventions and achievements. Set against the breathtaking, azure vistas of the Greek Isles, the film merges a contemporary archeological “detective story” with some of the most advanced and painstaking digital re-creations ever undertaken for an IMAX® theatre film, with scenes that restore such centuries-old spectacles as the original Parthenon and the volcanic eruption that buried Santorini in 1646 BC.
The signs of ancient Greece¢s immense and continuing influence on the lives we lead today are everywhere around us. The Greeks invented the concept of democracy, which transformed the world and fills today¢s headlines. They pioneered the theatrical dramas and comedies that kick-started our modern captivation with entertainment. They pondered the meaning of existence with the study of philosophy; and created the first system of sports competition with the Olympics. They simplified the alphabet, paving the way towards literacy for all; and scanned the night sky, naming the constellations. In art, they perfected the form of the human body. In math, they developed theorems still taught in school today. In literature, they left behind extraordinary myths and heroes who continue to inspire us– so much so that the first manned flights to the moon were named after the Greek God Apollo.
But the story of the Greeks and their impact on our lives isn¢t by any means over – it¢s still unfolding. As new artifacts and ruins are excavated with exciting modern archeological techniques, the past is coming to life as it never has before. The secrets of how Greece rose from seafaring Minoan times to the Golden Age are literally being unearthed from the ground beneath the feet of modern Greeks.
It is this dynamic tale of science, archeological adventure and discovery that producer/director Greg MacGillivray unfolds with GREECE: SECRETS OF THE PAST, using the unique power of IMAX® theatre filmmaking to transport audiences deep into a world that no longer exists but that echoes throughout our own. Helping to bring a fun, contemporary edge to this tale of a centuries-old civilization is the film¢s narrator, Nia Vardalos, the Greek American actress who rose to the fore writing and starring in the run-away cross-cultural romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, garnering both an Academy Award® nomination for Best Screenplay and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.