American actor Harvey Keitel will honor the 16th Athens Open Air Film Festival powered by the Public Power Corporation, (PPC or DEI) with his presence on Thursday, June 18, at the Colonus Theatre, where the festival will open with a special screening of “Ulysses’ Gaze,” directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos and starring Keitel himself.
The event marks the official launch of this year’s edition of the festival, co-organized by the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the City of Athens (OPANDA), bringing one of European cinema’s most emblematic works back to the big screen in the Greek capital—three decades after its original release.
Born in New York in May 1939, Keitel has built a landmark career spanning more than five decades and is widely regarded as one of the defining figures of contemporary American cinema.
A long-standing member of the Actors Studio—alongside figures such as Al Pacino and Ellen Burstyn—Keitel is often cited among the most influential method actors of his generation. His career includes an Academy Award nomination, a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, and numerous international honors.
Yet beyond Hollywood’s major productions, Keitel has also maintained a deep commitment to independent and international cinema. His collaboration with Angelopoulos on “Ulysses’ Gaze” remains one of the most striking examples of that artistic pursuit, bridging American acting craft with the meditative, poetic language of Greek auteur cinema.
Thirty years later, the film’s return to Athens—now in the presence of its leading actor—offers a rare moment of cinematic reflection. It stands as both tribute and celebration: to a landmark work of world cinema and to a director whose vision reshaped the landscape of Greek and international film.
