Astero (1929 film)

Astero
Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Dimitris Gaziadis
Screenplay by	Orestis Laskos Dimitris Gaziadis Pavlos Nirvanas
Based on	Ramona
Starring	Aliki Theodoridou Kostas Mousouris Emilios Veakis Dimitris Tsakiris
Cinematography	Michalis Gaziadis
Music by	Philipps Chalachouris Dimitrios Rodiou
Production company	Dag Films
Release date	22 April 1929 (1929-04-22)
Running time	4 reels 57 minutes
Country	Greece
Languages	Silent film Greek intertitles

Astero (Greek: Αστέρω) is a Greek silent film directed by Dimitris Gaziadis in 1929. The film is considered a romantic fustanella film and was filmed in a rural Greek setting. The fustanella was traditional Greek attire. It is a pleated skirt-like garment that is also referred to as a kilt and was initially featured in the film Golfo. Dimitris Gaziadis wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Orestis Laskos. Laskos also wrote and directed the 1931 Greek silent film Daphnis and Chloe which was also filmed in an agricultural setting. The filming of Astero took place between 8-31 of March in 1929. A significant part of the filming took place in areas of the Peloponnese such as Mount Helmos, the Waters of Stygos, the Monastery of Mega Spilaio, the Diakopto–Kalavryta railway, Zachlorou, Mesorrougi, Solos, and Elatophyto.^[1][2][3]

The story was loosely based on the American novel Ramona.  The screenwriter was Pavlos Nirvanas while Orestis Laskos and Dimitris Gaziadis adjusted the story to follow Greek standards.  The American Indian heroes were turned into dressmakers and the film was shot in Kalavryta. The film was initially silent but the song Astero was added after along with vocals via a gramophone.  The actor's lips were not synced and the vocals were contributed by Orestis Makris and the song was composed by Dimitrios Rodiou. The first synchronized sound film in Greece was the 1932 film Sweetheart of a Shepherdess (Ο Αγαπητικός της βοσκοπούλας) another fustanella shepherd romance inspired by Golfo.^[4][5][6]

The film was first screened on 22 April 1929 at the Splendid Cinema and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos attended the premiere. In fact, Michalis Gaziadis allegedly filmed the arrival of the prime minister. He used the footage of the prime minister's entrance at the beginning of the film. In 1944, an audio version of the film was created with music by Yiannis Vidalis. Excerpts from this version were included in the 1964 film The Old Times. In 1959, a reboot of Astero was directed by Dinos Dimopoulos, starring Aliki Vougiouklaki as Astero. Alekos Sakellarios adapted the script and the music was by Takis Morakis. For decades, little-known footage survived from the film, which was thought to be lost. In 2003, thanks to the Lumière community project to find lost films, a copy of Astero with French subtitles was discovered in the French Film Archive. Based on this copy, the film was restored with the cooperation of the Greek and French Film Archives.^[7][8]