Nestoras Matsas

Nestor Matsas, an author, journalist, and director of educational films, was born in Athens in 1930. He studied journalism, theater, and cinema in Paris on a scholarship from the French government. He began his journalism career in 1949 at the newspaper "Ethnikos Kyrix" as a film critic. Alongside journalism, he was involved in literature. He authored 35 books, many of which have been translated into various foreign languages, including Chinese, and have received numerous accolades. Additionally, he directed one hundred seventy ethnographic documentaries, both short and feature-length. He was honored with many literary and cinematic awards, both Greek and international. Notably, he received the Grand Prize with a Silver Cup from the Italian Ministry of Education for the outstanding documentary "Odysseus Always Lives - Greek Seas," the Grand Prize with a Gold Medal at the International Festival of Tourist Films in Marseille for the documentary "The Celebration Never Ends," and an honorary diploma from the Cannes Festival in 1970 for the short film "The Other Silence." He also received an honorary diploma from the International Festival of Rome for the two documentaries "The Tale of Theophilos" and "The Vow" in 1971. He passed away in Athens on June 28, 2012, at the age of 82.