'' Captain Corelli 's Mandolin '' is a 2001 war film directed by John Madden . It is based on the novel '' Captain Corelli 's Mandolin '' by Louis de Bernières . The film pays homage to the thousands of Italian soldiers executed at the Massacre of the Acqui Division by German forces in Cephalonia in September 1943 , and to the people of Cephalonia who were killed in the post-war earthquake . The novel 's protagonists are portrayed by actors Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz
Massacre of the Acqui Division
Massacre of the Acqui Division
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film)