Astoria, NY- The Hellenic Film Society USA presents Smyrna: The Destruction of a Cosmopolitan City, 1900-1922, a film that The Hollywood Reporter calls a “haunting documentary…about a modern-day tragedy”, on November 6 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. The presentation, the film’s first New York theatrical showing in ten years, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Army’s burning of the city.
The documentary, in English, was written and directed by Maria Iliou; historian Alexander Kitroeff served as historical consultant. Using astonishing archival footage and informative interviews with scholars and individuals with family ties to Smyrna’s Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Turkish residents, this fascinating documentary presents a balanced account of the destruction of the richest and most cosmopolitan, predominantly Christian city in Asia Minor.
“This is an important chapter in Greek history, but it’s a story that the entire world needs to know about and understand,” says Jimmy DeMetro, president of the Hellenic Film Society. “One hundred years later, we still need to be reminded of this tragic event. The Hellenic Film Society is proud to show this distinguished film.”
The NYC Movie Guru calls the film a “vital, heartbreaking and informative history lesson as well as a cautionary tale.” The New York Times calls it “a sobering study in how individual human beings can become afterthoughts in the face of broad movements like nationalism, a phenomenon that is still much in evidence almost a century later.”
A trailer for the film can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s YouTube channel. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org and follow on Facebook and Instagram. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, is conveniently located near public transportation.
About the Hellenic Film Society USA
The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization rooted in the belief that Greek cinema deserves to be part of the American cultural landscape. The organization promotes feature films, documentaries, and film shorts made by Greek filmmakers and those of Greek descent, as well as films that promote the cultures of Greece and Cyprus.
In addition to collaborating with the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image for its series of monthly Greek film screenings, HFS presents the annual New York Greek Film Expo film festival annually. HFS also hosts a YouTube channel offering free Greek films and interviews with filmmakers.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is the lead supporter of the Hellenic Film Society USA. Additional support is provided by the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Kallinikeion Foundation, and Antenna Satellite TV.
