As part of the 30th Greek Film Festival of Sydney, Neos Kosmos’s own Billy Cotsis is presenting a new film based on his many adventures to Latin America.
Described as a loco Greek-Aussie-Lesvian adventurer, Billy Cotsis has journeyed to South and Latina America for weeks and months at a time, ostensibly to explore Greek communities that have thrived since the 1800s. The film visits seven countries, showcasing multi-generational Greek speakers, businesses, churches, and cultural traditions. It highlights how Greeks preserve their heritage and language in distant lands. The film reveals shared values between Greeks and the Americas, such as a love for food and adventure, all while celebrating the region’s stunning landscapes.
His first visit to Brasil and Argentina came in early 2020, just before COVID.
“My talented friend Mame from my London residency years lives in Buenos Aires, she designs my book covers. Hence a great reason to visit. From there I went to Rio where I met a Greek-speaking Brasiliera, Ana Marcia. She really helped me fall in love with Brasil. I’m grateful to her, one of the most inspiring people on the planet; and a superior writer to me.”
Cotsis visits Brasil annually to rekindle friendships and connect with Greeks. “I met Greeks in Rio and Sao Paulo via the restaurants, associations and the Church. The latter is special to me as I have really been embraced by the congregation. At O Grego, Copacabana, I feel like I’m home. We laugh, dance, smash plates, play tavli and hang out after hours.
In 2024, Cotsis journeyed to 14 countries in the Americas, intent on writing articles for Neos Kosmos, yet a visit to a Greek speaking home in Santiago gave him an idea to visually record the visits.
“I was invited to journalist Veronica Rabb Saitis home to meet her family. Three generations of Greeks. I thought, far out, I better record some of this. Nice people, good story; the mother is a Greek from Bolivia.”
Why the film?
Cotsis managed to record segments in a few countries for his YouTube Channel and was content to leave it at that. Until a prompt from Nia Karteris, Greek Festival Chair and Vice President of the Greek Orthodox Community, and National Film Festival Coordinator Chryssa Karagiannidou who nudged the Sydneysider to turn the footage into a feature documentary.
“I may not have made this film without the prompt. Now I am already planning on a part two, as this film only covers Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brasil, Panama and Cuba.”
To Cotsis, there’s many stories and people. He hopes that the film provides an entry point to the world they’re in. Daily life can be hard for many, yet generally the Greeks have done well in business, as professionals and in shipping. One thing for sure, they are all welcoming.
“In Caracas, Father Evangelos, originally from Colombia, made me feel welcome; the entire community did. I told him I was missing playing football. He immediately contacted Greek and non-Greek footballers in Caracas and by the evening, Father had lent me his sports shoes and we all played football. I scored a goal against Father! It was my favourite night in the Americas, truly special, we even ate the Greek taverna next to the pitch. I had attended huge salsa parties, Greek events, beach parties, I even joined human rights protests in Brasil, yet this act of fulfilling my wish, it’s hard to explain how happy I was.”
The filmmaker continues, “I generally have a bike to get around, visiting neighbourhoods. I get to sample a bit of the local ways wherever I travel. We in Australia can whinge about plenty, yet most people in the Americas crack on with life. Many towns, villages, favelas, they struggle. Sometimes there is political upheaval.
Four times I have been in locations where there was something crazy happening politically or was about to happen; Bolivia, El Salvador, Ecuador with a curfew or the attempted coup by the ratbag president Jair Bolsanaro in Brasil.
Any regrets?
“I should have moved to Brasil or even Cuba by 2023! I also messed up my Peru adventure. In Lima I met the Greek Ambassador, Eleni Lianidou, former Ambassador in Melbourne. I had low battery, so I didn’t interview Ambassador Lianidou on camera. Then I left a day early missing a chance to interview the new Greek president of the small Lima association. I also rode four hours south to visit the Greek-origin town of San Andreas. Seven generations…. I made it to the small village of San Andreas. I kept telling the locals I’m Greek/Griego. They offered me beer! Typical Greeks I smiled, this will be an easy interview! Eventually they pointed me to the super mercado, and the young lad was excited to present me with Greek/Griego yoghurt…. It was the wrong San Andreas. The only Griego they ever heard of was the yoghurt. The Greek San Adreas town was another 1.5 hours ride. The Pan-Americas Highway is a tad busy! With a helmet that was falling apart and loco drivers, I gave up and went back to Lima where I tailed an Uber driver/yoga instructor, a new friend in Gabriella, to the lone Greek restaurant. It had closed for good, probably the day before!”
The film was pieced together in Newtown’s Luna Studio with Tim Star. “Tim helped make sense of a film that initially had no structure. With music from the great George Ellis, Tassos Bouzouki and Minas Midis, The Greeks of South America had genesis.”
The screening is the world premiere, with plans to release it internationally after more add-ons from Billy’s 2026 Brasil trip are included.
The film should leave the audience with two things: it’s all Greek to Billy, and there are Hellenes almost everywhere.
Bookings are available at the Palace Cinemas website.
*Billy Cotsis is the author of Aristotle Roberto Carlos Smithopoulos, partially set in Brasil and Colombia
