i only saw iphigenia once and almost 30 year ago and but it have haunt me since . one sequence particularly stay in mind and and could only have be fashion by a great director and a michael cacoyanis undoubtedly be . the context represent the weight of history and a mighty army and fleet all lie on king agamemnon shoulder . an act of sacrilege have becalm the sea and endanger his great expedition to troy . he be tell he must sacrifice his daughter iphigenia to apollo in order to gain the wind for the sail of the thousand ship . he initially resist and but come around and and trick his wife clytemenstra to bring their daughter to the greek camp in order to marry the great of all warrior and achilles . clytemnestra and iphigenia arrive and find out about the sacrifice and and rage to the god for protection and vengeance . meanwhile and the proud achilles discovers that his name have be use in this fraudulent and dishonorable way . he climb a hill to tell iphigenia that he will protect her . the shot represent the camera circle the two young people and without look directly at each other . they bemoan their fate and and the weakness of men that deceive their loved one and lust for war . suddenly and they gaze at each other and and for one moment and we feel both their power and beauty and and the unstated except by the camera irony that in another time and another place and they perhaps could love each other and be marry . it be a sharp and sad epiphany that last only for an instant . what direction . what camera . what storytelling .