BOY ON A DOLPHIN

OUR TRIBUTE TO HYDRA & GREECE’S FIRST HOLLYWOOD FILM

3-5 OCTOBER 2025
HYDRA ISLAND GREECE

In 1956, Italian icon Sophia Loren arrived on the shores of Hydra to star in Boy on a Dolphin - Greece’s first Hollywood feature film. Our tribute evening event offers a culturally immersive celebration, with live music, dancing, traditional taverna dining, and two film screenings. Together, we honor the creative collaborations between Greece, Italy, and Hollywood that transported Hydra’s beauty and culture onto the global stage.

BOY ON A DOLPHIN EVENING

A Culturally Immersive Evening of Film, Fashion, Dance & Music

ArtCinema will present a fully restored 4K screening of the 1957 classic Boy on a Dolphin in an open-air theatrical setting at one of the film’s original shooting locations which we will share on September 15.

This special, community-wide celebration will be an immersive seaside evening, evoking the glamorous 1950’s era with fashion, music, and dance, culminating in a sit-down taverna dinner at the beloved Lefterakis Taverna.

We invite everyone to learn the most iconic Greek song from Boy on a Dolphin so we can unite in music - “Ti Einai Afto Pou To Lene Agapi” (“What Is This Called Love”), with music composed by Takis Morakis.

American 1950's torch singer Julie London performed the English version for the film's closing credits, set to the Greek melody by Takis Morakis with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster and Gianis Ioannis Fermanoglou.

We are proud to host this event under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Italian Embassy in Athens, whose endorsement honours this unique cultural occasion.

An original film location is the beautiful Mandraki Bay

Sophia Loren singing “Ti Einai Afto Pou To Lene Agapi” (“What Is This Called Love”)

Julie London’s English version of “Ti Einai Afto Pou To Lene Agapi” (“What Is This Called Love”)

HYDRA & SOPHIA

WORLD PREMIERE:

AN AI-ENHANCED DOCUMENTARY

We are delighted to announce the world premiere of Hydra & Sophia: Echoes of a Dolphin - ArtCinema Hydra’s first original production. This 30-minute experimental short documentary, filmed entirely on Hydra, is directed by acclaimed Greek filmmaker Antonis Sotiropoulos with producer Georgia Andreou, and commissioned by ArtCinema founder Amanda Palmer. It also marks the beginning of a feature-length project, set for completion next year on the 70th anniversary of Boy on a Dolphin.

The film revisits the 39 days in 1956 when a Greek-American and Italian crew arrived with 22-year-old rising Italian actress Sophia Loren to film the iconic movie, forever linking the island to her international career. By combining personal stories, archival material, and live performances from Hydra residents, it is a work shaped by the community itself.

HONOURED GUESTS

FILM, FASHION & CREATIVE ADVISORS

VASSILIS ZOULIAS

Internationally renowned Greek fashion designer Vassilis Zoulias will join us as an honoured guest, leading a special conversation on fashion during the evening and inspiring our 1950s fashion challenge. Recently, he dressed the stars of the hit series Emily in Paris. Stay tuned for his style tips coming soon!

DOROTEA MERCURI

Beloved Italian-Greek actress and model Dorotea Mercuri bridges both the film and art worlds. The daughter of an Italian art dealer and a Greek mother, she studied dance and later acting at Lee Strasberg’s Theatre Institute in New York, and is also an accomplished vocalist and recording artist. Dorotea, who is inspired by Sophia Loren, joins us to celebrate the rich Italian-Greek connection and will participate in our conversation about film and fashion, as well as the 1950’s Fashion Challenge.

NICOLE ALEXANDROPOULOS

Greek-Italian director and producer Nicole Alexandropoulos - founder and artistic director of the Athens Fashion Film Festival - joins ArtCinema this year, celebrating the Italian–Greek film and fashion connection through the Boy on a Dolphin and Italian icon, Sophia Loren.