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TROPHONIUS

By Ioanna SPANOMARKOU, Areti SPANOMARKOU

Biography - Pre-Production 2023

Mini Series documentary, presenting controversial figure of ancient Greece, Trophonius, who was worshiped as a god of medicine. A famous architect who became a thief, decapitated his brother as an act of mercy, haunted the underground treasury he built, and became an oracle in times of pandemics

- Year of production
- 2023
- Genres
- Biography, Historical, Documentary
- Countries
- GREECE
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Budget
- 1 - 3 M$
- Director(s)
- Ioanna SPANOMARKOU, Areti SPANOMARKOU
- Writer(s)
- Areti SPANOMARKOU, Ioanna SPANOMARKOU
- Cast
- Thanasis KOURLAMBAS, Grigoris VALTINOS
- Synopsis
- Following the leads and historical sources that indicate the location of the legendary underground Trophonius’ Oracle, which is lost in time, and it is a dream for all archaeologists to discover. Notable geographer Pausanias visited it in 160s AD, and described its location and interior. Heinrich Schliemann, and Elgin were among those who spent years in excavations in the area, but failed to uncover it. The documentary includes visits at excavation sites, museums, expert interviews, aerial footage of the impresive land of Boeotia in Greece, and a vivid narration, describing the story of Trophonius, and a presentation of the unfinished Temple of King Zeus, that is believed to be constructed by Trophonius, near the entrance of the Oracle.
  
  THE DARK STORY OF TROPHONIUS
  Trophonius was one of the greatest architects/masons of antiquity, and together with his brother Agamedes, built temples, palaces, as well as Hercule’s mother wedding chambers. King Irieas hired them to build a treasury so that he could keep his wealth and gold artifacts. But the siblings stole some of the gold, and when the king found out, not knowing who the thieves were, blocked the corridors, and trapped them in the underground treasury. When Agamedes was caught in a booby trap and there was no way to escape, he begged Trophonius to decapitate him, and thus hide his identity, to not lead King Irieas to find his brother by association. Trophonius did so, and managed to get out, but never got over this tragedy. He ended up being forever trapped in there. Later on, the treasury became an Oracle, and Trophonius with his divinations acted as a doctor saving thousands of patients, and got to be worshiped as a god, equal to Asclepius. It was believed that after his death the entrance got lost, and only those initiated to the occult would be led to the Oracle, which was haunted by Trophonius who gave divinations from
  the underworld, providing advice in times of pandemics.
  
  Moodboard / Logline Video: https://youtu.be/JvUMOWYzFeI
- Beginning of shooting
- Jun 12, 2023