A futuristic journey with Yannis Markopoulos

Childhood drawings done by his son, a manga-style video by French multidisciplinary creative collective Sagans, a collage of global protests and movements inside the head of Yannis Markopoulos, five women from Africa dancing in slow motion: These are the images the celebrated Greek composer's songs evoked for photographer Christos Sarris, head of the creative department at the Onassis Cultural Center and director of "Beyond the Sea." The musical, running at the cultural center from February 1 to 5, is a tale about a journey through space and time, from West to East, and from the beginning of the world to the future - a future he hopes will not be dystopian.

"I would like an optimistic close to the show," says Sarris as we talk about the work he is doing on the project. An experienced hand at directing after working on a series of short and medium-length films on music, as...