Smyrna, my beloved (Smyrni moy agapimeni), the critically acclaimed film based on 1922 true events is set for its Australian release on Sunday 26 March.
Drawing parallels with the Syrian refugee crisis, the epic drama opens with the scene of a young Greek American woman, Helen, who visits the island of Lesvos in the present day to support refugees and starts uncovering her own family history and their experiences fleeing Smyrna a century earlier.
The film synopsis reads:
“A century after the disaster of Smyrna comes to life the critically acclaimed and moving drama about an elderly Greek American woman whose family diary recounts the 1922 burning of the cosmopolitan city of Smyrna where Greeks, Turks, Jews, Armenians and Levantines once lived together harmoniously.”
Based on a play by Greek actress Mimi Denissi which ran in Athens for three years, the film is directed by Grigoris Karantinakis with an international cast including Denissi, Leonidas Kakouris, Burak Hakki, Katerina Geronikolou, Jane Lapotaire, Susan Hampshire, Rupert Graves, Christos Stergioglou and Daphne Alexander.
Denissi also co-wrote the script in collaboration with 2-time Tony Award nominee, Martin Sherman.
‘Smyrna’ is coming to the big screen in select cinemas across Australia on Sunday, March 26th as a one-night only event.
The screening includes a special bonus feature with behind the scenes of the making-of Smyrna with talent interviews and a live recorded performance of select songs from the original soundtrack featuring Alkistis Protopsalti among other musicians.
To find a participating cinema visit:
https://www.palacecinemas.com.au/movies/smyrna
