For the first time, M Karagatsis’s 20th-century literary classic The Great Chimera is being adapted for the screen. The ambitious six-hour series, produced by Foss Productions in collaboration with Beta Film, ERT and international partners, aims to capture the novel’s complex exploration of love, identity and belonging while appealing to contemporary audiences. Foss Productions’ Stelios Cotionis and Beta Film’s Ferdinand Dohna discuss the adaptation, casting, production design and Greece’s evolving role in the international television landscape.

Cineuropa: The Great Chimera brings Karagatsis’ iconic novel to the screen for the first time. How did you approach translating such a revered work into a six-hour drama?
Stelios Cotionis: The Great Chimera is a cornerstone of modern Greek literature, and adapting it has been a long, challenging journey. Many have attempted this over the past 30 years. We assembled a strong creative team and collaborated with experts across Europe to deliver a version that honours the novel while appealing to contemporary audiences. Fidelity to Karagatsis’ vision guided us throughout. His exploration of love, identity and belonging remains deeply relevant, and shaping the novel into six hours of television required balancing its depth with pacing, visual rhythm and emotional accessibility. Panagiotis Iosifelis transformed the complex text into a compelling TV narrative, while director Vardis Marinakis translated the story’s complexity into a striking visual language, giving the series its cinematic identity. We are grateful to Dimitris Tarlow, Karagatsis’s descendant, for ensuring fidelity to the author’s spirit. Support from ERT, Beta Film, EKKOMED, Mompracem, the Italian Tax Credit and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission made a production of this scale possible. Finally, the teams at Foss Productions were essential in bringing this ambitious adaptation to life.

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