2022 PRESS RELEASES
Hellenic Film Society USA
Presents .dog, Award-Winning Drama
Starring Greek Film Star Andreas Konstantinou
Sunday, December 4 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
Astoria, NY – November 22, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA presents the award-winning drama .dog, on Sunday, December 4 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. The critically acclaimed film stars Andreas Konstantinou, one of Greece’s biggest film stars. The screening is part of HFS’s Always on Sunday series of monthly Greek film screenings at MoMI.
Directed by Yianna Americanou, the gripping drama is about a young man forced to reconcile his values with his love for his father, an ex-con recently released from prison. The performance won Konstantinou, who plays the role of the father, the Best Actor Award at the recent New York Greek Film Expo presented by the Hellenic Film Society. The film won the Youth Jury Award, Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2021. The film is in Greek, with English subtitles.
“.dog is a very powerful coming-of-age film featuring not one, but two, brilliant performances,” says Jimmy DeMetro, president of the Hellenic Film Society, referring also to newcomer Dimitris Kitsos who plays the role of the son. “The film got an enthusiastic reaction when we showed it at the Village East in Manhattan during our film festival and there was strong demand for us to bring it to MoMI in Astoria.”
A trailer for the film and an interview with Konstantinou 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. When purchasing film tickets, please use discount code SUNDAY20. 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. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
 The Hellenic Film Society presents the award-winning drama, .dog, on Sunday, December 4 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. The film stars Andreas Konstantinou, one of Greece’s biggest film stars. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society USA
Commemorates 100th Anniversary of the Burning of Smyrna
With a Moving Documentary
SMYRNA: THE DESTRUCTION OF A COSMOPOLITAN CITY, 1900-1922
Sunday, November 6 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
Astoria, NY – October 26, 2022 – 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.” 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. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
 The Hellenic Film Society presents the stirring documentary, Smyrna: The Destruction of a Cosmopolitan City, 1900-1922 on Sunday, November 6 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
It’s a Wrap for New York Greek Expo 2022,
Greek Film Festival for All New Yorkers—
Hellenic Film Society Presented 12 Films in Four Theaters across New York Metro Area.
Festival Awards Go to MY PEOPLE documentary and Actor Andreas Konstantinou
Astoria, NY—October 17, 2022—The curtain came down on a successful edition of the New York Greek Film Expo 2022, presented by the Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS). The festival’s Audience Award for best film was given to My People, an inspiring documentary about the untold story of Greek Jews during the Holocaust. The film was directed by Anna Rezan and co-produced by Academy Award winners Mitchell Block and Kim Magnusson. The Alexis Mouyiaris Memorial Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film went to Andreas Konstantinou for his gripping performance as an ex-con who exploits the teenaged son who idolizes him in .DOG. The film was directed by Yianna Americanou.
“This was an exceptionally good year for Greek cinema, and we were delighted by the audience reaction to these excellent films,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society. “It is encouraging to see an increasingly diverse audience, which demonstrates that there is an interest in Greek film beyond the Greek community.”
This marked the most extensive Expo in HFS history, including 15 screenings in four theaters: at the Village East Cinema in Manhattan; Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria; Alpine Cinemas in Brooklyn; and Pelham Picture House in Westchester. Twelve films, including dramas, comedies, and two documentaries were presented at 15 screenings from September 29—October 9. Four of the films were directed by women.
New York Greek Film Expo 2022 was made possible with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the Kallinikeion Foundation, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the New York City Council, and the Queens Borough President.
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 should be part of the American cultural landscape. Based in Astoria, NY, 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 presenting its annual film festival, HFS collaborates with the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image on Always on Sunday, a series of monthly Greek film screenings.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
 The Audience Award for Best Film at the New York Greek Film Expo was given to My People, a moving documentary about the untold story of Greek Jews during the Holocaust. The film was directed by Anna Rezan and co-produced by Academy Award winners Mitchell Block and Kim Magnusson. The New York Greek Film Expo was presented by the Hellenic Film Society USA, September 29—October 9. |
 The Alexis Mouyiaris Memorial Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film at the New York Greek Film Expo went to Andreas Konstantinou for his gripping performance as an ex-con who exploits the teenaged son who idolizes him in .DOG. The film was directed by Yianna Americanou. The New York Greek Film Expo was presented by the Hellenic Film Society USA, September 29—October 9. |
New York Greek Film Expo 2022, a Greek Film Festival
for all New Yorkers, presented by Hellenic Film Society USA—
September 29—October 9 in four theaters across the NY metro area
Astoria, NY – September 19, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) has announced the lineup for its annual New York Greek Film Expo, a Greek film festival for all New Yorkers, to be held September 29—October 9, expanding to four theaters across the New York metro area.
HFS will present 15 screenings of 12 films, including two documentaries. Four of the films are directed by women. Films that are in Greek have English subtitles. Screenings will be held at the Village East Cinema in Manhattan; the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria; the Alpine Cinemas in Brooklyn; and the Pelham Picture House in Westchester.
“This marks the most films in the greatest number of theaters in HFS history,” says President, Jimmy DeMetro. “We are very excited about the diverse offerings we’re presenting, from powerful dramas to inspiring documentaries and even a classic from the golden age of Greek comedy. Romance, greed, passion, revenge, teenage angst—we’ve got it all.”
Andreas Konstantinou, one of Greece’s biggest film stars, is honorary host of this year’s Expo and is expected to attend several of the Manhattan screenings.
New York Greek Film Expo 2022 is made possible with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Additional funding is provided by the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Kallinikeion Foundation, the New York City Council, and the Queens Borough President.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
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 should be part of the American cultural landscape. Based in Astoria, NY, 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 presenting its annual film festival, HFS collaborates with the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image on Always on Sunday, a series of monthly Greek film screenings.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
Following is the 2022 feature film lineup, followed by the schedule.
Trailers for all films can be seen on the HFS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/HellenicFilmSocietyUSA/featured
18, directed by Vasilis Douvlis
Set in a working-class neighborhood of Athens, this powerful coming-of-age drama follows a group of 18-year-olds who target anyone different from themselves, amid the pressures of the economic crisis, the resurgence of fascism and Covid-19. Nominated for two Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including for Best Director. New York premiere.
Sat, 10/2, 7pm – Village East Cinema
ARMY BABY, directed by George Kordellas
An infant is left at the front gate of the army camp where his father is serving. The soldiers welcome the disruption in their daily routines, but things get complicated when the baby lands across the Turkish border in a hammam bath. This comedy is having its world premiere in this year’s New York Greek Film Expo.
Opening Night: Thur, 9/29, 7pm – Village East Cinema
.dog, directed by Yianna Americanou
All his life, a young man has romanticized his imprisoned father, only to learn of his true nature when he is released from prison after ten years. This award-winning film stars Andreas Konstantinou. New York premiere. Co-presented by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT).
Fri, 9/30, 7pm – Village East Cinema
THE FORTUNE TELLER, directed by Alekos Sakellarios
A laundress poses as a fortune teller to bamboozle her clients for the benefit of a cash-strapped cohort. Considered one of the great Greek comedy classics, the film, originally released in 1956, will be shown in a newly digitized print.
Sun, 10/2, 1:30pm, Village East Cinema | Sun, 10/9, 4pm – Museum of the Moving Image
KING OTTO, directed by Christopher André Marks
This inspiring documentary dramatically recounts one of the biggest upsets in sports history, when the Greek National Soccer team won the 2004 Euro Cup, coached by the legendary German coach ‘King’ Otto Rehhagel.
Wed, 10/5, 7:30pm – Pelham Picture House
THE LIFEBELT, directed by Yiannis Panayiotarakos
When an Athenian shop owner falls on hard times, he blames it on street vendors and refugees. But when a homeless man throws him a “lifebelt,” he rediscovers his values and realizes that it is a refugee who contributes to his salvation. US Premiere.
Sat, 10/8, 4pm – Museum of the Moving Image
MAGNETIC FIELDS, directed by Yorgos Gousis
This love story centers on the magnetic attraction between two strangers who meet by chance on the island of Kefalonia. Winner of five 2022 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best First-Time Director, and Best Actress. New York premiere.
Sun, 10/2, 4pm – Village East Cinema |Fri, 10/7, 7pm – Museum of the Moving Image
MY NAME IS EFTYHIA, directed by Angelos Frantzis
This moving biographical drama tells the story of the indomitable Eftyhia Papagiannopoulou, who escaped the burning of Smyrna to become a seminal figure in Greek popular music, the beloved lyricist of Greece. The film’s mesmerizing soundtrack helped make the film one of the biggest box office hits in Greek film history. Winner of eight 2020 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Film.
Sun, 10/9, 4pm – Alpine Cinemas
MY PEOPLE, directed by Anna Rezan
In this moving documentary, “a hymn to love, dignity and courage,” a young woman on a quest to learn about her Greek Jewish family history, discovers the bravery of the Greek resistance fighters during the Holocaust and the role of the Greek Orthodox Church during the Axis occupation of Greece and the persecution of Jews. Co-produced by Academy Award winners Mitchell Block and Kim Magnusson. New York premiere.
Sun, 10/2, 6:30pm – Village East Cinema
PACK OF SHEEP, directed by Dimitris Kanellopoulos
Businessmen in a remote Greek town join forces to strike a deal with the local loan shark who has lent them money. Winner of the Hellenic Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Aris Servetalis) and nine nominations including Best Film. New York premiere.
Sat, 10/1, 9:30pm – Village East Cinema | Sat, 10/8, 6:30pm – Museum of the Moving Image
PATCHWORK, directed by Petros Charalambous
This provocative drama explores the sources of female contentment and fulfillment, as a young mother is haunted by her ambiguous feelings about motherhood. New York premiere. Co-presented by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT).
Fri, 9/30, 9:30pm – Village East Cinema
TAILOR, directed by Sonia Liza Kenterman
Changing trends in men’s fashion bring hard times to a master tailor. When the bank threatens to repossess his shop, he hits the road with a tailor shop on wheels. Determined to survive, he manages to reinvent himself while bringing style to the brides of Athens. Winner of two Hellenic Film Academy Awards and three Thessaloniki Film Festival Awards.
Thur, 10/6, 7:30pm – Pelham Picture House
Schedule for film screenings:
| VILLAGE EAST CINEMA, Second Ave/12 St. | |
| Opening Night: Thur Sept 29 | |
| 7 pm | ARMY BABY |
| Fri Sept 30 | |
| 7 pm | .dog |
| 9:30 pm | PATCHWORK |
| Sat Oct 1 | |
| 7 pm | 18 |
| 9:30 pm | PACK OF SHEEP |
| Sun Oct 2 | |
| 1:30 pm | THE FORTUNE TELLER |
| 4 pm | MAGNETIC FIELDS |
| 6:30 pm | MY PEOPLE |
| PELHAM PICTURE HOUSE, 75 Wolfs Lane, Pelham | |
| Wed Oct 5 | |
| 7:30 pm | KING OTTO |
| Thur Oct 6 | |
| 7:30 pm | TAILOR |
| MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, 35 Ave at 37 St | |
| Fri Oct 7 | |
| 7 pm | MAGNETIC FIELDS |
| Sat Oct 8 | |
| 4 pm | THE LIFEBELT |
| 6:30 pm | PACK OF SHEEP |
| Sun Oct 9 | |
| 4 pm | THE FORTUNE TELLER |
| ALPINE CINEMAS 6817 Fifth Ave, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn | |
| Sun Oct 9 | |
| 4 pm | MY NAME IS EFTYHIA |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents FREE Movie Screening—
Mamma Mia! at Athens Square Park in Astoria, NY
Sunday, July 17 at 8:30pm
Astoria, NY – July 7, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS), in association with the New York City Parks Department, will present a free screening of Mamma Mia! on Sunday, July 17 at 8:30pm at Athens Square Park, 30th Avenue/30th Street, in Astoria, NY.
Filmed on the Greek island of Skopelos, the film is based on the popular ABBA-inspired Broadway show, and stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, and Christine Baranski. Mamma Mia! is the story of bride-to-be Sophie who, after discovering that any one of three men could be her father, invites all three to the wedding without telling her mother. Hollywood.com calls Mamma Mia “an absolutely hilarious, rousing, and joyous celebration that ought to have you dancing in the aisles.”
“This is a fun family movie for a summer evening,” says Jimmy DeMetro, president of the Hellenic Film Society USA. “While Mamma Mia is not the type of film we typically show, it’s filmed on a Greek island and captures the Greek love of life and celebration. The audience will not be discouraged from singing along to the Abba soundtrack.”
The free screening of the film, rated PG-13, is being presented in cooperation with NYC Parks Arts, Culture & Fun and Movies Under the Stars. Viewers may bring chairs for their comfort. For further information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
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 should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 The Hellenic Film Society presents a free screening of the movie musical Mamma Mia on Sunday, July 17 at Athens Square Park, 30th Avenue/30th Street in Astoria, NY. For further information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents Defunct,
Sunday, July 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
Part of the Always on Sunday Monthly Greek Film Series
Astoria, NY – June 27, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) presents the award-winning film, Defunct, on Sunday, July 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria, Queens. The presentation is part of HFS’s Always on Sunday series of monthly Greek film screenings at MoMI.
The winner of the Audience Award for Best Picture at the 2019 Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Defunct tells the story of Aris, a failed young businessman who leaves behind his downtown yuppie lifestyle and moves into his late grandfather’s home in an Athens suburb. Before long, he discovers a family secret that will forever change the way he looks at life. Directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis, Defunct (the title in Greek is Apostratos) is in Greek with English subtitles.
“This is an audience-friendly film that uses a light touch to tell the story of a young man who reaches an understanding of family dynamics that will usher him into a new level of maturity,” says Jimmy DeMetro, president of the Hellenic Film Society USA. “Mihalis Sarantis, who gives a flawless performance as the young man, justifies his status as a young Greek actor to watch.”
A trailer for the film and an interview with the director can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s YouTube channel. For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, is conveniently located near public transportation.
The following week, on Sunday, July 17, the Hellenic Film Society, in partnership with the New York City Parks Department, will present a free screening of the musical Mamma Mia! at Athens Square Park in Astoria at 30th Avenue/30th Street.
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 should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 The Hellenic Film Society presents the award-winning film, Defunct, on Sunday, July 10 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents Apples,
Sunday, June 12 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
Astoria, NY – May 24, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) presents the critically acclaimed film, Apples, on Sunday, June 12 at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria, Queens. The presentation is part of HFS’s Always on Sunday series of monthly Greek film screenings at MoMI.
Directed by Christos Nikou in his feature film debut, Apples takes place amid a worldwide pandemic that causes sudden amnesia. Aris, portrayed by award-winning actor Aris Servetalis, finds himself enrolled in a program designed to help him build a new identity and reintegrate into society, when he meets a woman also trying to recover. The film is in Greek and English, with English subtitles.
“Apples is a wonderfully rich allegorical film and a remarkable debut by director Christos Nikou,” says Jimmy DeMetro, president of the Hellenic Film Society USA. “It is being marketed as a ‘Greek Weird Wave’ film, but unlike most of the films in that category, Apples has an unmistakable humanity at its core, and that sets it apart. We are happy to show it just before its national US release.”
Apples, which Variety calls “soulfully relevant,” received 17 international film festival awards and was Greece’s official submission for Best International Film of the 93rd Academy Awards. The Hollywood Reporter said, “The originality of the premise, the uncanny timing of its wry grounding in a pandemic that’s steadily reshaping society and the soulful observation of how we process loss and move on with our broken lives should ensure that [Apples] finds a responsive… audience.” The film received 98% on the Rotten Tomatoes website.
A trailer for the film can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s YouTube channel. For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 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 should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 The Hellenic Film Society presents the award-winning film, Apples, on Sunday, June 12 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society Continues Greek Films On Demand Series—
Two Award-Winning Films—Suntan and Xenia—Streaming May 6-15
Astoria, NY—May 6, 2022—Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) is continuing its monthly streaming series, Greek Films on Demand with the presentation of two critically acclaimed films about relationships, Suntan and Xenia, May 6-15. Both films are in Greek with English subtitles and have adult themes.
In Suntan, a middle-aged doctor having a midlife crisis becomes obsessed with a young, hard-partying tourist during a summer on the island of Antiparos. The film, directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos and starring the popular Greek actor, Makis Papadimitriou, is the winner of six Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Complicated relationships of a different kind are found in Xenia, in which two distant brothers set out to find the father who abandoned them as children. While their relationship is conflicted, the protective fraternal bond they share makes the film both compelling and disarmingly engaging. Xenia was an official selection at Cannes and is the winner of six Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Director.
“The Hellenic Film Society is proud to present two beautiful films about complicated, compelling characters,” said Jimmy DeMetro, the organization’s president. “Both Suntan and Xenia force the audience to look at these characters in a new light.”
For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
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 should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 The Hellenic Film Society will be streaming the award-winning film, Suntan, for 10 days: May 6-15. For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
 The Hellenic Film Society presents Greek Films on Demand, two Greek films for 10 days monthly. The award-winning drama Xenia will be available for streaming May 6-15. For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents Smyrna, My Beloved,
commemorating the 100th anniversary of the destruction of the city
Two screenings: Friday, April 29 at the Directors Guild in Manhattan;
Sunday, May 1 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
Astoria, NY – April 13, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) is proud to present the New York premiere of Smyrna, My Beloved about the destruction of the cosmopolitan city of Smyrna and its vibrant and prosperous Greek community at the hands of the Turkish Army in 1922. There will be a special screening on Friday, April 29 at 7pm at the Directors Guild Theater in Manhattan. On Sunday, May 1, the film will be presented at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, as part of the Society’s Always on Sunday monthly series of Greek films.
This moving, historical drama, told through the saga of a prominent Greek family, recounts the burning of the city and the killing of its Greek and Armenian populations. In the present, a young Greek-American woman, visiting Greece with her grandmother to support the Syrian refugees, discovers that the similar Smyrna tragedy destroyed her own family 100 years earlier.
Smyrna My Beloved was nominated for 12 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. It is based on the book and acclaimed play by Mimi Denissi, which ran in Athens for three years. Denissi, who co-wrote the script, also stars in the film directed by Grigoris Karantinakis. The movie is in Greek and English, with English subtitles.
“The burning of Smyrna was a seminal event in modern Greek history, seared into the consciousness of Greeks, many of whom emigrated to the US as a result of that atrocity,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president of the Hellenic Film Society USA. “Against the backdrop of the current refugee crises around the world, this is an important story to tell and we are privileged to be able to show this moving film.”
A trailer for the film can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s YouTube channel. For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Both the Directors Guild Theater, 110 West 57th Street in midtown Manhattan, and the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, are conveniently located near public transportation. Face masks are required at both theaters.
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 can and should 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 |  |
| The Hellenic Film Society proudly presents the historical drama, Smyrna, My Beloved on Friday, April 29, at 7pm at the Directors Guild Theater, in midtown Manhattan, and at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY on Sunday, May 1. The presentations commemorate the 100th anniversary of the destruction of the vibrant, cosmopolitan city of Smyrna by the Turkish Army. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. | |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents King Otto —
Players and Coaches from 2004 Euro Cup Championship Soccer Team to Attend Screening
Sunday, March 27 at 3pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
Astoria, NY – March 21, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) will present King Otto, the critically acclaimed film about the miracle triumph of the Greek National Soccer Team at the 2004 European Championships. Following the screening, midfielder Giorgos Karagounis; goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis; head coach “King” Otto Rehhagel and assistant coach Ioannis Topalidis will participate in a live interview and Q&A with the audience. The screening will be presented on Sunday, March 27 at 3pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
Directed by Greek-American Christopher André Marks, King Otto tells the improbable story of one of the biggest upsets in sports history. The Greek team, which defied 300 to 1 odds, was led by legendary German coach ‘King’ Otto Rehhagel who, after major success in his own country, went to work with the underachieving Greek National Team in a language he didn’t speak, in a country he couldn’t understand.
Besides the on-field drama, at its core King Otto is an intimate human story of cultural collaboration and triumph of spirit at a time when we need such uplifting tales of hope and unity. The documentary opened theatrically in Europe and Australia to critical acclaim. The BBC calls it, “A beautiful, beautiful film.”
“We are thrilled to be showing King Otto, which is a very exciting, well-crafted film,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society USA. “Coach Otto and the modern-day underdog Greek heroes in this moving film are almost a page out of Greek mythology.”
The film is in English, Greek, and German, with English subtitles. A trailer for the film can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s You YouTube channel. The screening is part of the monthly Always on Sunday Greek film series which began in 2018.
For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, is conveniently located near public transportation. For the latest on the Museum’s public health protocols, it is suggested that guests visit the Museum of the Moving Image website.
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 can and should 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV.
For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 The Hellenic Film Society presents King Otto on Sunday, March 27 at 3pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. The critically acclaimed film is about the miracle triumph of the Greek National Soccer Team at the 2004 European Championships, led by legendary German coach Otto Rehhagel. Following the screening, midfielder Giorgos Karagounis; goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis; head coach “King” Otto Rehhagel and assistant coach Ioannis Topalidis will participate in a live interview and Q&A with the audience. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Hellenic Film Society Resumes Streaming Greek Movies;
Two Films Available for 10-day Period Each Month
My Name is Eftyhia and Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head
On Demand March 4-13
Always on Sunday Monthly Greek Film Series Continues
In person at the Museum of the Moving Image
Astoria, NY—March 1, 2022—Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) has announced that it is resuming its popular streaming series Greek Films on Demand. Every month, it will offer two Greek films for a 10-day period. In March, it will present My Name is Eftyhia and Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head, from Friday, March 4 through Sunday, March 13. This is in addition to its monthly Always on Sunday monthly series, in person, at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. Both films are in Greek with English subtitles.
At the height of the pandemic when movie theaters were closed, HFS began offering two films on demand every month. It was a popular series with viewers from across the US and around the world, but when theaters reopened last fall, HFS returned to in-person screenings. In response to the many requests from viewers outside the New York metro area asking for Greek films to stream, HFS is resuming the series now.
My Name is Eftyhia, directed by Angelos Frantzis, is an award-winning, song-filled biographical drama about the life of Eftyhia Papagiannopoulou, who escaped the burning of Smyrna in the early 1920s to become the beloved lyricist of Greece. The film won eight 2020 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Film. It also won HFS’s 2021 NY Greek Film Expo Audience Award for most popular film. Both screenings sold out at the Expo in October.
Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head, directed by Vasilis Christofilakis, is a smart, award-winning comedy that follows the trials and tribulations of a young hapless, anxiety-plagued movie director. The film won three awards at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2017, including the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Greek Film.
“It has been gratifying for us to see the outpouring of requests for streaming Greek films,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society USA. “Although we prefer to show films in movie theaters where they were made to be seen, we are pleased to give our audience, especially those outside New York, the opportunity to see Greek films where they otherwise have no access.”
This month’s programming is made possible, in part, by The Greek Online School.
For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
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 can and should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
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 The Hellenic Film Society will be streaming the popular award-winning film, My Name is Eftyhia, for 10 days:Friday March 4-Sunday, March 13. The award-winning song-filled biopic is in Greek with English subtitles. For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
 The Hellenic Film Society presents Greek Films on Demand, two Greek films for 10 days monthly. Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head is available Friday March 4-Sunday, March 13. The award-winning comedy is in Greek with English subtitles. For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents A Simple Man
Sunday, February 20 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image
Part of ALWAYS ON SUNDAY Monthly Greek Film Series
Astoria, NY – February 9, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) will present A Simple Man on Sunday, February 20 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The screening is part of the monthly Always on Sunday Greek film series which began in 2018.
A Simple Man, directed by Tassos Gerakinis and cowritten by Gerakinis and Christos Strepkos, is about a peaceful winemaker struggling to save his vineyard and his relationship with his headstrong daughter. When a dangerous fugitive invades his home and takes him hostage, he goes beyond his limits to prevent his daughter’s involvement with the hostage taker. The film is in Greek with English subtitles. A trailer for the film can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s YouTube channel.
“Every now and then a film opens without fanfare and almost no publicity, yet it proves to be superior to most of the widely promoted films it is competing with for an audience. A Simple Man is that kind of film,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society USA. “This film is suspenseful, beautifully written, tautly directed, and expertly played.”
For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram. When purchasing film tickets, please use discount code SUNDAY20. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, is conveniently located near public transportation. In keeping with City and State public health protocols, the Museum requires proof of vaccination and masks for all visitors. For details, please visit the Museum of Moving Image website.
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 can and should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
###
 The Hellenic Film Society presents A Simple Man on Sunday, February 20 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. The suspenseful film is in Greek with English subtitles. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents Siege on Liperti Street
Sunday, January 23 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image
As ALWAYS ON SUNDAY Monthly Greek Film Series Continues
Astoria, NY – January 11, 2022 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) will present the award-winning film, Siege on Liperti Street on Sunday, January 23 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The film is part of the monthly Always on Sunday Greek film series which began in 2018.
The Cypriot film, written and directed by Stavros Pamballis, won five Best Picture awards at the 2019 Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The film is set near the buffer zone dividing the city of Nicosia, Cyprus, where a desperate father crushed by economic austerity fights to keep his family’s home from being repossessed, at any cost. The film stars Constantine Markoulakis, one of Greece’s most acclaimed theater actors. Siege is in Greek with English subtitles.
“Siege on Liperti Street is a very powerful film the captures a simple man’s love for his family and the desperation that drives him to do whatever is necessary to save them from financial ruin,” says Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society USA. “This is a most impressive directorial debut for Pamballis and we look forward to seeing more work from him in the future.”
A trailer for the film and an interview with the writer-director and lead actress Daphne Alexander can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s YouTube channel.
For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram. When purchasing film tickets, please use discount code SUNDAY20. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, is conveniently located near public transportation. In keeping with City and State public health protocols, the Museum requires proof of vaccination and masks for all visitors. For details, please visit the Museum of Moving Image website.
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 can and should 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 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis/718-898-7002/nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
###
 The Hellenic Film Society presents Siege on Liperti Street on Sunday, January 23 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. The Cypriot film, written and directed by Stavros Pamballis, won five Best Picture awards at the 2019 Thessaloniki International Film Festival. For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org. |
2022 MEDIA COVERAGE
Hellenic Film Society USA Presents SMYRNA, MY BELOVED, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the destruction of the city. An amazing production, a touching story, a moment of history important for all Hellenes around the world.
The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) is proud to present the New York premiere of Smyrna, My Beloved about the destruction of the cosmopolitan city of Smyrna and its vibrant and prosperous Greek community at the hands of the Turkish Army in 1922. There will be a special screening on Friday, April 29 at 7pm at the Directors Guild Theater in Manhattan. On Sunday, May 1, the film will be presented at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, as part of the Society’s Always on Sunday monthly series of Greek films.
This moving, historical drama, told through the saga of a prominent Greek family, recounts the burning of the city and the killing of its Greek and Armenian populations. In the present, a young Greek-American woman, visiting Greece with her grandmother to support the Syrian refugees, discovers that the similar Smyrna tragedy destroyed her own family 100 years earlier.
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 can and should 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. When the pandemic forced movie theaters to close, HFS began streaming Greek films worldwide and created a YouTube channel to satisfy audience demand for Greek film.
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, Queens Council on the Arts, and Antenna Satellite TV. For additional information, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.
Two screenings: Friday, April 29 at the Directors Guild in Manhattan;
Sunday, May 1 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY
For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, please visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Press Contact for information or photos: Nancy Nicolelis /718-898-7002/ nancy.nicolelis.hfs@gmail.com
 German soccer coach Otto Rehhagel in the documentary “King Otto.” (Sven Simon / Imago / MPI Media Group) |
Christopher André Marks’ entertaining sports documentary “King Otto” tells the story of an unlikely European football hero: Otto Rehhagel, a veteran German player and manager who had a solid if largely undistinguished career before he signed on to coach the Greek national team, where his defense-focused style flummoxed opponents. The squad’s legendary run through the 2004 European Championship cemented his reputation as a strategist and a leader, who was either incredibly lucky or subtly brilliant. “King Otto” features a lot of thrilling old footage from the pitch, along with new interviews that dig into the ways this real-life Ted Lasso used a cultural gap to his advantage, counting on his players to raise their game whenever they couldn’t understand what he was saying. It’s a great story, crisply told.
Christopher André Marks analyzes the Greek national soccer team’s championship season under the leadership of a German coach.
 The victorious Greek national soccer team and its German coach in the documentary “King Otto.”Credit…MPI Media Group |
“King Otto,” which opens with a quote from “The Odyssey,” treats its retelling of a soccer underdog story as the stuff of myth. In 2004, the German coach Otto Rehhagel led the Greek national team to victory in the European Championship. The team had never even won a match at a major competition before. According to the closing titles, Rehhagel became the first foreign-born coach to win a major international soccer tournament for another country’s national team.
In this documentary directed by Christopher André Marks, the coach, the players and others recount Rehhagel’s arrival in Greece as someone who didn’t understand the culture or speak the language. (In its opening minutes, “King Otto” makes clear that the offscreen filmmaker and Rehhagel also had a linguistic barrier to overcome.) Ioannis Topalidis, who became Rehhagel’s assistant coach and the interpreter connecting him with the players, emerges as one of the liveliest subjects.
Somewhat gratingly, “King Otto” treats its story as a tale of national stereotypes colliding head-to-head. Vassilis Gagatsis, the president of the Hellenic Football Federation at the time, says he hired Rehhagel because he thought that “being a German, he would be able to instill the discipline that we Greeks lack.” One player says that the team “became calmer and cold-blooded” under Rehhagel. According to Gagatsis, the German coach turned out to have “the heart of a Greek.”
“King Otto” is less grandiose and more granular when it goes match by match through the 2004 tournament. The briskly edited recap probably holds more suspense for those who didn’t follow the events than those who did.
The Hellenic Film Society USA Presents A Simple Man on Sunday, February 20 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image, as part of the Always On Sunday Monthly Greek Film Series. |
The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) will present A Simple Man on Sunday, February 20 at 4pm at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. The screening is part of the monthly Always on Sunday Greek film series which began in 2018.
A Simple Man, directed by Tassos Gerakinis and cowritten by Gerakinis and Christos Strepkos, is about a peaceful winemaker struggling to save his vineyard and his relationship with his headstrong daughter. When a dangerous fugitive invades his home and takes him hostage, he goes beyond his limits to prevent his daughter’s involvement with the hostage taker. The film is in Greek with English subtitles. A trailer for the film can be found on the Hellenic Film Society’s Youtube channel (watch trailer).
“Every now and then a film opens without fanfare and almost no publicity, yet it proves to be superior to most of the widely promoted films it is competing with for an audience. A Simple Man is that kind of film,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society USA. “This film is suspenseful, beautifully written, tautly directed, and expertly played.”
For further information or to purchase tickets to the film, visit www.hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497 and follow on Facebook and Instagram. When purchasing film tickets, please use discount code SUNDAY20. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, is conveniently located near public transportation. In keeping with City and State public health protocols, the Museum requires proof of vaccination and masks for all visitors. For details, please visit the Museum of Moving Image website.
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