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velastours.com
an incoming tour operator based in Greece with 34 years experience in both, tours and holidays
velastours.com
Smyrna Commemoration at Maliotis CenterThe Smyrna Catastrophe: 85 Years, a four-day commemoration of the Smyrna Catastrophe of 1922, will take place at the Maliotis Cultural Center in Brookline and the Taxiarchae Church in Watertown from Thursday, September 20 through Sunday, September 23. Through films, lectures, dance, music, exhibits and cuisine, the program will offer a comprehensive understanding of the tragedy, with an emphasis on the relocation of refugees to Greece in its aftermath, as well as glimpses into the culture of the Greek communities in Asia Minor during the early 20th century. The screening of Nyfes, the award-winning 2004 Greek film directed by Pantelis Voulgaris and starring Victoria Haralabidou and Damian Lewis, will open the program on Thursday evening. Set in 1922, Nyfes tells the story of a mail-order bride, one of 700 sailing from Europe to the United States aboard the SS King Alexander, who falls in love with an American photographer. She, however, is bound for her new husband while he is on his way home to a failed marriage. The film is in English and Greek. The commemoration continues on Friday evening with the world premiere of SMYRNE, a dramatic stage production that explores the themes of genocide and population displacement through the prism of the Catastrophe. Testimonies of survivors and stories of refugees and their descendants are interwoven with the remarkable music of the time, forming the basis for individual and group improvisations. The production was commissioned by the Maliotis Foundation specifically for this event and is constructed and directed by Emmy winner Yannis Simonides in musical collaboration with Grigoris Maninakis and the Microkosmos Ensemble. Events on Saturday will be held throughout the day, beginning with a morning multi-media presentation by historian Angelos Athanasopoulos. Dr. Athanasopoulos, who received his Ph.D. from Boston University and is widely recognized for his creativity in integrating video technology into educational presentations, will address the aftermath of the 1922 tragedy. In the early afternoon, a second presentation by Dr. Athanasopoulos, covering the events and politics leading to the Catastrophe, as well as two historical films featuring extraordinary archival footage and photographs ?The Uprooting of the Asia Minor Greeks, by National Geographic, in Greek with English subtitles, and The Asia Minor Catastrophe, by Yiannis Leontsinis, in Greek?will run simultaneously. Saturday evening, Ithaki of Ipswich will cater a dinner of authentic Smyrnaean dishes. Following dinner, Meraklides, a five-member ensemble of formally trained musicians and vocalists from the East and West Coasts, will entertain with a concert of Smyrnean music, integrating the kanounaki, politiki lyra, oud and violin? instruments traditionally played in Asia Minor. On Sunday a memorial service following Divine Liturgy will commemorate the victims of the Smyrna Catastrophe and will be held at the Taxiarchae Church in Watertown, Massachusetts. A workshop on Asia Minor dances, organized by the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon and led by renowned instructor Lazaros Hatzipanagiotou of Athens will follow in the Hellenic Center at the Church. Dancers of all levels are welcome. From Thursday through Saturday at the Center, two exhibits of note will be open. Towards a New Homeland, 1922: From Asia Minor to Greece, a display of 60 photographs excerpted from a recent exhibit at the Hellenic Parliament, will be shown for the first time outside Greece. This exhibit is presented in cooperation with the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy and the Press and Communication Office of the Consulate General of Greece. A second display, by the Hellenic College Bookstore, will offer visitors the opportunity to peruse and purchase a variety of books relating to the Smyrna Catastrophe, Asia Minor and the Greeks of Asia Minor. The Smyrna Catastrophe: 85 Years, which is being hosted by the Maliotis Cultural Center, is planned and produced by an ad hoc committee of Boston area members of the Hellenic community. The committee consists of chairpersonTina Papadopoulos, Peter Cakridas, George Colt, Milt Karamechedis, Tony Kounelas, Helen Nayar, Eleni Pantelis, Irene Savas, John Vasilakis, Lee Tamis, Kemon Taschioglou and Thanasi Vulgaropoulos. Although a number of events are free, there are charges for the film Nyfes; the play, SMYRNE; the dinner by Ithaki, for which reservations are required; the Meraklides concert; and the dance workshop. Additional information and tickets can be obtained from the Maliotis Cultural Center (617-522-2800, information@maliotis.org, www.maliotis.org) or through any of the committee members. All events will be open to the public.
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