George Petritsis

Documentary Filmmaker & Journalist

1940
Born
💫
2015
Eternal
75 years of inspiring stories
"There is no greater foolishness than trying to convince a fool that they are a fool"

— A visionary documentarist whose lens captured the soul of Greece

Celebrate His Life
George Petritsis
50+
Years in Film
800+
Documentaries
5
Books Published
🎬

Notable Works

"Leaders" - Documentary series profiling state leaders worldwide
"Testimonies" - Greek cultural and political history documentaries
"Paths of the Gods" - Greek mythology series with Peter Ustinov
🏆

Legacy & Recognition

Ministry Awards - "Me" and "Vacations" films
Cyprus International Festival - Best Antiquity Film
Botsis Cultural Foundation Award - Award for excellence in the field of journalism
Cultural Guardian - Preserving Greek heritage for future generations
Literary Work - Author of five satirical novels

A Life in Film

George Petritsis graduated from the Athens College and continued his studies in the Law School of Athens University, practicing in parallel in script writing and film direction and working as journalist and movie critic in well known Athenian newspapers.

A Life Dedicated to Documenting

He produced his first 35 mm short film "That Bitter Taste of Time" in 1968. Since then he created over 800 television and film documentaries covering journalistic investigations, scientific, social, cultural, and historical content, most of which were broadcasted on the Greek State Television Channels ET1 and ET2.

Legacy

He received awards for his films «Εγώ» (Me) and «Διακοπές» (Vacations) from the Ministry of Industry and his documentary "The Seven Sages Of Antiquity" was honored as the best antiquity film at the Cyprus International Festival 2010.

George Petritsis is the writer of five satirical novels.

Continuing Impact

Today, George's legacy lives on through:

  • The countless stories he preserved for future generations
  • His influence on contemporary Greek documentary scene

His dedication to preserving Greek culture and history ensures his work will continue to educate, inspire, and connect people across generations.

Journey Through Time

1970s

Early Works

Early Works

• "This Bitter Taste of Time" - Short fiction film

• "Let's Feel Love in Athens" - Musical documentary

• "Panorama" - TV series of eighty-five filmed documentaries

• "Ego" ("Me") - Short fiction film

• "Tele-Yesterday" - Eight filmed journalistic and historical research programs

• "Environmental Pollution" - Documentary for the World Health Organization

• "With Love and Care" - Five documentaries on social welfare topics

• "Holidays" - Short film

• "Greek Treasures" - Nine documentaries covering various archaeological subjects

• "Inquiries" - Twenty-two filmed documentaries on social issues

• "The Quest for Culture" - Ten documentaries on behalf of the Ministry of Culture to promote subjects related to Arts, Archaeology and traditional ethics of Greece

1980s

Establishing a Career

Establishing a Career

• "Zero Hour" - A hundred and ten short documentaries on safe driving

• "Anniversary Day" - Ten historical research documentaries

• "Historical Portraits" - Fifty-six documentaries investigating recent Greek history and profiling important historical personalities

• "SOS" - Twenty-eight medical documentaries, focusing mainly on health prevention and first aids

• "History of the Greek Press" - Fourteen documentaries on the evolution of the Greek Press till the 19th century

• "Leaders of the World" - First series of thirty-two hour-long documentaries profiling well-known leaders from all over the world, featuring among others: Pope John-Paul, Michail Gorbachev, Jacques Santer, Mario Soares, Sandro Pertini, Raoul Alfonsin, Giulio Andreotti, Felipe Gonzalez, Olaf Palme, Cavaco Silva, Ruud Lubers, Bettino Kraxi, Gru Harlem Brundland, Romano Prodi, Jose Maria Athnar etc.

1990s

International Recognition

International Recognition

• "Eastern Europe Year One" - Eight one-hour documentaries focusing on the historical evolution in the Eastern European countries after the fall of communism

• "Medical Appointments" - Twenty-one medical documentaries presenting the scientific views of the most distinguished university professors in Greece

• "Environment and Energy" - Seven documentaries covering various subjects on energy and environment for DEI (Public Power Corporation)

• "Testimonies" - Forty-nine video-recorded documentaries recording live testimonies of historical events

• "Thrace, The Great Land" - Video-recorded documentary

• "Greece, A Country for All Centuries" - An one-hour documentary profiling the past and present of Greece that was presented in Seville during the World Fair

• "Lefcadios Hearn" - Documentary filmed in Japan

• "Rendez-vous with Greece" - Six hour-long documentaries with international personalities

• "Greece Turns a Page" - Five video-recorded documentaries for the Ministry of National Economy

• "Paths of the Gods" - Eight documentaries covering subjects from Greek Mythology, with Sir Peter Ustinov as the host/narrator (co-produced with a Canadian production company)

2000s

Production Machine

Production Machine

• "Leaders of the World" - Second series of nine hour-long documentaries

• "Kallisti" - Documentary filmed in Santorini

• "Kallerges, The Pioneer Socialist" - Hour-long historical documentary

• "Paros" - Video-recorded documentary

• "Traditional Recipes and Dishes" - Series of documentaries

• "The Chronicle" - Eight documentaries following the evolution of the Greek Press in the 20th century, recounting the most important historical events the way they were presented and commented by the Press

• "Hippocrates in Olympia" - A one-hour documentary narrated by Sir Peter Ustinov to reveal the nature and quality of the medical services that were offered at the ancient Olympic Games. Furthermore the research covers the subject of the history of medicine in antiquity, starting from mythology, presenting the principles of Hippocratic medicine, describing the structure of the health system and showing the close links between medicine and religion in ancient Greece

• "Panagiotis Kanellopoulos" - Hour-long documentary tribute

• "The Quest for the Athlos" - A one-hour documentary narrated by Sir Peter Ustinov to record the major athletic events in Antiquity, travelling around archaeological sites to depict the ancient stadiums and gymnasiums where the spirit of peaceful athletic competition was worshipped

• "Testimonies" - Second series of fifty-seven new research documentaries covering important events of recent Greek history

• "The Seven Sages of Antiquity" - A one-hour documentary narrated by Robert MacLean, focused on the wisdom of the pre-Socratic philosophers

Four archaeological documentaries produced on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Culture (Delphi, Acropolis, Knossos, Santorini)

• "Portraits" - Twelve historical documentaries for the Parliament Television

Documentarist Legacy

Testimonies (Martyries)
1990-2012

Testimonies (Martyries)

Documentary Series

A series of historical documentaries presented on ERT TV since 1990

Leaders of the World
1985-1989

Leaders of the World

Documentary Series

Forty five one hour documentaries profiling well-known Leaders from all over the world, featuring among others: Pope John-Paul, Michail Gorbachev, Jacques Santer

The Seven Sages of Greek Antiquity
2007

The Seven Sages of Greek Antiquity

Documentary

A one-hour documentary narrated by Robert MacLean, focused on the wisdom of the pre-Socratic philosophers.

🏆 Best Antiquity Film at Cyprus International Film Festival 2010
Paths of the Gods
1996

Paths of the Gods

Documentary Series

An 8-part series on Greek mythology, filmed at archaeological sites across Greece with Sir Peter Ustinov as presenter

"Engaging in dialogue with a person of bad faith is not only futile but also multiply harmful"

George P.

Photo Gallery

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