Director and actor Kitano Takeshi (61, profile) received an Honorary Golden Alexander award at the 49th Thessaloniki International Film Festival in northern Greece yesterday. His agency said that he is the first Japanese to receive the honorary award, though in the past Sugimori Hidenori’s “Mizu no Onna” (Woman of Water, 2002) and Takahashi Youichiro’s “Mizu no naka no Hachigatsu” (Fishes in August, 1998) have taken Best Film awards. Kitano is visiting Greece for the first time in order to present his latest film, “Akiresu to Kame” (Achilles and the Tortoise). He is also due to conduct a Masterclass today in which he will discuss his films and remarkable career as a director, actor and hugely popular television personality.