CHICAGO, IL – GNUSA
With a sold-out audience, the award-winning documentary “Venizelos: The Struggle for Asia Minor” premiered at the Pickwick Theater in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, May 30. This premiere marked the first of seven consecutive daily screenings, running from May 30 to June 5, offering the greater Chicago community the opportunity to experience the film.
“The opportunity to screen the documentary about Eleftherios Venizelos in Chicago—one of the most prominent cities in North America—over seven consecutive days highlights the enduring relevance of his legacy. By exploring Venizelos’ life and work, we can draw inspiration and gain valuable insights to guide our future”, stated the President of the Venizelos Foundation USA and the World Council of Cretans (WCC), Nickos Kastrinakis.
Kastrinakis presented an award to the first President of the Venizelos Foundation and former President of the Pancretan Association of America (PAA), John Manos as a token of appreciation for his ongoing efforts and contributions to the Foundation.
“I was humbled to receive a plaque of recognition from President Kastrinakis, and I feel it is only right to share this honor with the Foundation’s Vice President, John Bertakis, our Treasurer, Andrea Eliopoulos, [who were also present] and the entire Board who helped establish this remarkable organization years ago. I sincerely thank President Kastrinakis for this thoughtful recognition and for his continued dedication and contributions to the Foundation. I wish him ongoing success in all his efforts”, said Manos, accepting the award.
Among the many distinguished guests who attended the premiere were the Honorable Consul General of Greece in Chicago, Emmanuel Koubarakis; Leadership 100 Chairman, Demetrios Logothetis; President of Hellenic American National Council (HANC), Bill Mataragas; the Treasurer of the World Council of Cretans, Bianca Nicole Pigounakis; PAA Treasurer, Debbie Nikokavouras; PAA Philanthropic Chair, Evangelia Hobitakis; President of the Cretan Fraternity of Chicago, Dimitris Spatharakis; President of the Cretan Association of Chicago “Amalthia,” Marianthe Zervas; President of the Cretan Youth of Chicago, Manousos Papadakis; and Editor of Kriti Magazine, Amalia Deligianni.
Warm thanks are extended to the Treasurer of the World Council of Cretans, Bianca Nicole Pigounakis, for leading the organizing committee, along with all its dedicated members. Sincere appreciation also goes to Dino Vlahakis for his support of the event on behalf of the Pickwick Theatre. Pigounakis remarked, “It is an honor to help carry on the legacy of such a remarkable and influential statesman, together as a community”.
The Venizelos Foundation USA will announce a series of events for the fall and winter of 2025 at the summit hosted by the Eleftherios K. Venizelos National Research Foundation on August 6, 2025, in Halepa, Chania.
The film is a production of the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” and is based on the book Eleftherios Venizelos: The Man, The Leader by the Foundation’s Director, Nikos Papadakis-Papadis. With English subtitles, the documentary—directed by Nikos Dayandas—brings to life the extraordinary journey of Eleftherios Venizelos, one of modern Greece’s greatest statesmen. Through dramatized scenes, rare archival footage, and expert interviews, the film vividly portrays his leadership during the defining decade of the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
