CHAIRMAN GEORGE – Quest for the Torch

a CTV Television Documentary Film

SATURDAY August 19, 2006 7-8 PM national broadcast

In Canada, George is a statistician. But in China, George is Elvis…

Produced by EyeSteelFilm

Directed by DANIEL CROSS and MILA AUNG-THWIN
in association with CTV, BBC and TV2 Denmark

Featuring the music of GEORGE SAPOUNIDIS

www.chairmangeorge.com

“heart-warming … you will be rooting for George long before it’s over! ” – The Times (London, UK)

Sterling Feature Grand Jury Honorable Mention , Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival – Washington DC

“A delightful road movie about a career statistician who dreams of performing one day at the Athens Olympics!” – The Montreal Gazette

” A brilliant documentary ! ” – The Montreal Mirror

“A Troubadour-Savant…George, you are a perfect human bridge. I can’t imagine any other candidate on the earth more perfect then you to perform at the closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympics.” – CBC Radio, Sheila Rogers

“Il y a de ces individus qu’on croit sortis de l’imaginaire. Sapounidis en est un. Il est pourtant reel, ce statisticien Greco-Canadien.” – La Presse, Montreal

Closing film of the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montrйal !
Special Jury Award : Canadian Filmmakers Festival , Toronto, Canada
Special Jury Award : Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, Saskatchewan, Canada
Synopsis:
Produced by EyeSteelFilm, the documentary follows George Sapounidis, a shy, Greek-Canadian statistician and Chinese folk-singing sensation on his quest to perform at the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In Canada, he is a statistician who lives with his mother. In China, he is a pop star. George Sapounidis defies every effort at categorization. The latest film from Daniel Cross and Mila Aung-Thwin is a delightful portrait of this zany troubadour who regularly makes the trip from Ottawa to Beijing to climb on stage. His bouzouki, guitar and cell phone in hand, he sings in faultless Mandarin for a delirious—mostly female—audience. With unquenchable optimism in the face of adversity, this obsessive-compulsive who never quite grew up goes for the main chance, a spot in the closing ceremonies at the Athens Olympics. The multilingual Sapounidis, “the only Greek in the world who can sing in Chinese,” wants to deliver his own ingenuous lyrics as the Olympic flag is passed from Athens to Beijing. Chairman George follows the trials and tribulations of this sensitive, eccentric man as he beats the drum in a full-out campaign between China, Greece and Canada.

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