John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) directs Academy Award¨winner Nicolas Cage (The Family Man) and Penelope Cruz (All About My Mother) in Captain Corelli's Mandolin, an epic tale about the enduring hope of love and the devastating brutality of war, set amid the Italian occupation of Greece during World War II. Based on the classic novel by Louis de Bernieres, the screenplay is adapted by Shawn Slovo, with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Kevin Loader and Mark Huffam producing. The idyllic beauty of Greece's Mediterranean coast has been invaded by Italy, bringing legions of soldiers to the once tranquil island of Cephallonia. Captain Antonio Corelli (Cage), an officer with an irrepressibly jovial personality and a passion for the mandolin, initially alienates a number of the villagers, including Pelagia (Cruz). The daughter of the village doctor, Pelagia is an educated and strong-willed woman, and while at first offended by the Italian soldier's behavior, she slowly warms to his certain charms as they are forced to share her father's home. When Pelagia's fiancee, a local fisherman, heads off to war, the friendship between Antonio and Pelagia grows even stronger. Her beauty and intelligence have captured his heart, and his fondness for the village's vibrant community causes him to question his reasons for fighting. Antonio becomes a part of the lives of the villagers, but the moment is fleeting. Upon Musollini's surrender to the Allies, German forces move quickly to take over the island. Realizing that his only chance for survival is to join the Greek partisans in resisting the Germans, Antonio reluctantly bids goodbye to a heartbroken Pelagia on the eve of battle. Although he promises he'll return to her when it's over, the two lovers both fear they will never see each other again. Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a Working Title production presented by Universal Pictures, StudioCanal and Miramax Films.