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{{short description|1989 documentary television series}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image              =
| caption            =
| native_name        = L'Héritage de la chouette
| genre              = [[Documentary film|Documentary]]
| creator            = {{Plainlist|
* [[Chris Marker]]
}}
| writer             =
| director           =
| starring           =
| composer           =
| country            = France
| language           =
| num_seasons        =
| num_episodes       = 13
| executive_producer =
| producer           = {{Plainlist|
* Thierry Garrel
* Chris Marker
}}
| editor             = <!--{{Plainlist|
* Khadicha Bariha
* Nedjma Scialom
}}-->
| location           =
| cinematography     = <!--{{Plainlist|
* Peter Arnold
* Peter Chappell
* Arnaud Duboisberanger
* {{ill|Pierre Dupouey|fr}}
* Jimmy Glasberg
* Emiko Omori
* Levan Paatashvili
* Andreas Sinanos
}}-->
| runtime            = 26 minutes
| company            =
| channel            = [[La Sept]]
| first_aired        = {{Start date|1989|6|12|df=y}}
| last_aired         = {{End date|1989|6|28|df=y}}
}}
'''''The Owl's Legacy''''' ({{langx|fr|L'Héritage de la chouette}}) is a 1989 French documentary television series created by [[Chris Marker]]. Over 13 episodes, each 26 minutes long, it examines the relationship between the modern world and [[ancient Greece]]. It consists of discussions with scholars, politicians and cultural figures. The series was filmed in 1987 and 1988 and first shown on [[La Sept]] in 1989.
Due to a negative reaction from the Greek financial backer, ''The Owl's Legacy'' was blocked from distribution for many years. It was eventually released on home media in 2018. Critics have praised the series as entertaining and stimulating.
==Episodes==
The 13 episodes are 26 minutes long and were written and directed by [[Chris Marker]]. They are built around interviews and discussions with historians, philosophers, politicians and people from the cultural sphere, interspersed with archive footage, film extracts and exterior shots.<ref name="Macheret">{{cite news |last=Macheret |first=Mathieu |date=30 April 2018 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article/2018/04/30/dvd-treize-libres-variations-sur-la-grece-antique_5292530_3476.html |title=DVD : Treize libres variations sur la Grèce Antique |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |access-date=5 February 2023 }}</ref> People who appear throughout the episodes include [[Jean-Pierre Vernant]], [[Oswyn Murray]], {{ill|Nikos Svoronos|el|Νίκος Σβορώνος|fr|Nicolas Svoronos}}, [[Cornelius Castoriadis]], [[George Steiner]], [[Iannis Xenakis]], [[Michel Serres]], [[Theo Angelopoulos]], [[Angélique Ionatos]], [[Elia Kazan]], [[Vassilis Vassilikos]], [[Michel Jobert]] and [[Atsuhiko Yoshida]].<ref name="France Culture">{{cite web |url=https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/evenement/sortie-dvd-lheritage-de-la-chouette-de-chris-marker-2179205 |title=Sortie DVD ''L'Héritage de la chouette'' de Chris Marker |language=fr |publisher=[[France Culture]] |date=20 April 2018 |access-date=5 February 2023 }}</ref> Each episode title consists of a Greek word followed by a phrase sometimes intended to be provocative.<ref name="Hoberman">{{cite news |last=Hoberman |first=J. |authorlink=J. Hoberman |date=23 November 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/arts/television/the-owls-legacy-chris-marker.html |title='The Owl's Legacy' Explores the Glory That Was Greece |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=5 February 2023 }}</ref>
{{Episode table |background=#4F5766 |overall= |Title= |Aux1= |airdate= |released=y |TitleT=English title |Aux1T=French title |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 1
|Title           = Symposium or Accepted Ideas
|Aux1            = "Symposium ou Les idées reçues"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6|12|df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The subject of the series is introduced. [[Ancient Greece]] has been a touchstone for the modern world but has been interpreted in different ways and raises many questions.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 2
|Title           = Olympics or Imaginary Greece
|Aux1            = "Olympisme ou La Grèce imaginaire"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The episodes looks at how ancient Greece has been used to promote political ideologies. Special attention is given to [[Nazi Germany|National Socialist Germany]], including the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] and its portrayal in the film ''[[Olympia (1938 film)|Olympia]]''.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 3
|Title           = Democracy or The City of Dreams
|Aux1            = "Démocratie ou La cité des songes"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = [[Athenian democracy]] is explored and compared to what has been called [[democracy]] in modern times. The concepts have great differences but parallels between ancient and modern politics are pointed out.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 4
|Title           = Nostalgia or The Impossible Return
|Aux1            = "Nostalgie ou Le retour impossible"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The [[nostalgia]] in the ''[[Odyssey]]'' is paralleled with experiences among modern Greeks. Subjects discussed include Greek diaspora communities and how contemporary Greeks try to connect to an ancient past.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 5
|Title           = Amnesia or History on the March
|Aux1            = "Amnésie ou Le sens de l'histoire"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The ancient conception of [[history]], exemplified with [[Herodotus]], is compared to modern history. On a theme of remembering and forgetting, Greek history since the [[Greek War of Independence|War of Independence]] is discussed alongside clips from the film ''[[America, America]]''.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 6
|Title           = Mathematics or The Empire Counts Back
|Aux1            = "Mathématique ou L'empire des signes"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = Starting with [[Pythagoras]] and [[Thales of Miletus|Thales]], the episode discusses the universality and ahistorical qualities of mathematics. The claim that mathematics is a key to absolute truth is challenged by the changing history of mathematics and how new mathematical findings create more doubt rather than certainty.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 7
|Title           = Logomachy or The Dialect of the Tribe
|Aux1            = "Logomachie ou Les mots de la tribu"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The ancient Greek word ''[[logos]]'' is a root in many other words and some of them are explored in the episode. Language in general is discussed and there is an analysis of [[Plato]]'s dialogue ''[[Cratylus (dialogue)|Cratylus]]''.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 8
|Title           = Music or Inner Space
|Aux1            = "Musique ou L'espace de dedans"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The episode, which features the composer [[Iannis Xenakis]] and the singer [[Angélique Ionatos]] prominently, is about the origin and nature of music.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 9
|Title           = Cosmogony or The Ways of the World
|Aux1            = "Cosmogonie ou L'usage du monde"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The episode is about creation on various levels. It features a former power plant that has been turned into a cultural centre in Athens, discusses [[ancient Greek sculpture]] and compares Plato's [[allegory of the cave]] to cinema.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 10
|Title           = Mythology or Lies Like Truth
|Aux1            = "Mythologie ou La vérité du mensonge"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = [[Greek mythology]] has had a major impact on modern thinking. A theory about mythology and its relationship to psychology is explored, along with a discussion about differences between a Hellenic worldview and [[Paul the Apostle]]'s [[Judaism|Judaic]] way of thinking. Parallels are draws between Greek and Japanese myths.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 11
|Title           = Misogyny or The Snares of Desire
|Aux1            = "Misogynie ou Les pièges du désir"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The episode focuses on desire and women in ancient Greece and features the [[Classics|classicist]] [[Giulia Sissa]] prominently. Romantic love, which included [[Pederasty in ancient Greece|pederastic]] relationships, was separate from marriage, which consisted of a father as leader of the household and a mother as his subject. Desire was both celebrated and viewed as a major destructive force.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 12
|Title           = Tragedy or The Illusion of Death
|Aux1            = "Tragédie ou L'illusion de la mort"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6||df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = With [[Greek tragedy]] as its starting point, the episode explores parallels between Greek and Japanese theatre and cinema.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber   = 13
|Title           = Philosophy or The Triumph of the Owl
|Aux1            = "Philosophie ou Le triomphe de la chouette"
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|6|28|df=y}}
|ShortSummary    = The episode starts by exploring the [[owl]] as a symbol. It goes on by discussing the definition and relevance of [[philosophy]] and whether the ancient Greeks had [[Religious text|sacred texts]] or not.
|LineColor       = 4F5766
}}
}}
==Production==
The initiative to ''The Owl's Legacy'' was taken by the producer Thierry Garrel in 1987 and the idea originally came from the screenwriter [[Jean-Claude Carrière]].<ref name="Macheret" /><ref name="Ono-dit-Biot">{{cite news |last=Ono-dit-Biot |first=Christophe |date=10 June 2018 |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/la-minute-antique-12-chris-marker-fait-revenir-athena-10-06-2018-2225855_3.php |title=La minute antique #12 : Chris Marker fait revenir Athéna |newspaper=[[Le Point]] |language=fr |access-date=5 February 2023 }}</ref> The series was produced by the then new French television channel [[La Sept]] with financial support from the [[Alexander S. Onassis Foundation]] in Greece.<ref name="Ono-dit-Biot" /> Filming took place in 1987 and 1988 in France, Greece, the United States, Georgia, Japan and Cape Verde.<ref name="France Culture" /><ref name="Hoberman" /> The format was inspired by the ancient Greek [[symposium]], a banquet that included discussions over wine.<ref name="Hoberman" /> Four meetings modelled after the symposium were held, one each in Athens, Paris, [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]] and [[Tbilisi]].<ref name="Hoberman" />
==Release==
[[La Sept]] broadcast ''The Owl's Legacy'' from 12 to 28 June 1989.<ref name="Macheret" /> It was shown on British television in 1991.<ref name="Hoberman" /> The series was for many years unavailable because of a segment where Steiner argued that modern Greece has nothing to do with ancient Greece. This caused anger within the Onassis Foundation, which chose to block further distribution and responded that without modern Greece, the series would not have existed.<ref name="Ono-dit-Biot" /> In 2007, it was shown as an [[Installation art|art installation]] in Greece, where all 13 episodes ran simultaneously on different monitors.<ref name="Hoberman" />
The Onassis Foundation eventually handed over ''The Owl's Legacy'' to the [[Cinémathèque Française]] which performed a [[Film preservation|restoration]]. In France, [[Arte|Arte éditions]] released the restored version on two DVDs on 2 May 2018. The DVDs come with a 100 pages long booklet that includes comments from the Cinémathèque Française's president [[Costa-Gavras]].<ref name="France Culture" /><ref name="Ono-dit-Biot" /> The release was accompanied by an exhibition about Marker at the Cinémathèque Française.<ref name="France Culture" /> Icarus Films released the series on the American [[digital distribution]] platform [[VHX]] in 2018.<ref name="Hoberman" />
==Reception==
When ''The Owl's Legacy'' was made available in 2018, {{ill|Christophe Ono-dit-Biot|fr}} of ''[[Le Point]]'' called it formidable and wrote that it offered "an experience of otherness that is as radical as it is essential for thinking about the world in which we want to live".<ref name="Ono-dit-Biot" /> In ''[[Le Monde]]'', Mathieu Macheret called the series stimulating and beautiful, and said he appreciated that it assumed its viewers were intelligent and took upon itself to spread knowledge. The same reviewer wrote  that the archival material and exterior footage are successful parts of the whole, because they never illustrate what is being said, but add to it.<ref name="Macheret" /> [[J. Hoberman]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the series "at once illuminating and confounding, heady but playful" and said it is entertaining throughout. He said it premiered the same year the [[Cold War]] ended and perhaps unintentionally "has the feel of a glorious, collective [[epitaph]]" for the 20th century.<ref name="Hoberman" />
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://icarusfilms.com/if-owl ''The Owl's Legacy''] at Icarus Films
* {{IMDb title|0096615}}
{{Chris Marker}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owls Legacy}}
[[Category:1980s documentary television series]]
[[Category:1980s French television miniseries]]
[[Category:1989 French television series debuts]]
[[Category:1989 French television series endings]]
[[Category:French documentary television series]]
[[Category:Works about ancient Greece]]