A small yet historic moment was written at this year’s Academy Awards, when Cassandra Kulukundis took to the stage to receive the Oscar for Best Casting for the film “One Battle After Another.”
With roots in Kasos, Cassandra Kulukundis brought with her to the Oscars the aura of the Greek sea, Greek shipping, and her island heritage.
For Kulukundis herself, this moment marked the culmination of a decades-long career in Hollywood, as well as a form of recognition for a professional field that had long remained behind the scenes of the global film industry.
Although her career developed in Hollywood, she belongs to the well-known Greek shipping family Kulukundis and is the granddaughter of Emmanouil Kulukundis, originally from the seafaring island of Kasos. Her international success is yet another example of the strong presence of Greeks and the Greek diaspora in cinema.
The Kulukundis shipping family
The name “Kulukundis” is among the most historic and respected in Greek shipping.
Her grandfather, Manolis Kulukundis, made a significant mark in London, founding in 1935—together with Minas Rethymnis—the shipping company Rethymnis–Kulukundis (R&K). He also established the Committee of Greek Shipowners in London, a key institution closely linked to the Union of Greek Shipowners in Piraeus.
The R&K company, based in London, was known among seafarers as a “bank” due to its financial strength and reliability. Many sailors who worked on its vessels and in its services still speak of it with the highest regard.
At the end of the 1930s, the company managed more than 70 cargo ships. With the outbreak of World War II, it relocated to New York, where Manolis Kulukundis became president of the Greek Shipowners’ Association there.
He is also credited with proposing to the U.S. government the transfer—under favorable terms—of the Liberty ships, which later became the backbone of the revival of Greek shipping. His company acquired eleven of the one hundred Liberty ships granted to Greek shipowners.
Despite his intense activity, he lost his fleet in the mid-1960s and, although he founded a new company in the 1980s, he was unable to avoid further difficulties.
Family background and artistic ties
Cassandra Kulukundis is the daughter of Michalis Kulukundis (d. 2010), son of Manolis. Her mother, Irish actress Tara Tyson, was a notable presence on Broadway in the 1970s.
Following Michalis Kulukundis’ death, the family became involved in a legal dispute over the valuable art collection assembled by Manolis Kulukundis, which even included works by El Greco.
Greek shipping and cinema
Greek shipping has long maintained ties with the film industry. Shipowner Giorgos Papalias has produced important films of the New Greek Cinema, while Christos Konstantakopoulos—son of Captain Vasilis Konstantakopoulos—has distinguished himself in both Greek and international productions. Dimitris Melissanidis has also financed major productions, including the film “Yparcho,” which broke box-office records in Greece.
Produced and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis