The second series of Think Greek, a nine-part docuseries on the Australia’s Greek Community will air on Thursday, October 20.
Think Greek: After the Revolution, Greek Australian Migration season two will coincide with the celebration and commemoration for ‘Oxi’ Day (No Day) 28 October, 1940, when the Greek people answered ‘No’ to dictator Benito Mussolini’s declaration of war on Greece.
The Greek Army defeated Mussolini’s overwhelming forces and it pushed them back into Albania. It is the first Allied victory in WWII. Mussolini failure forced his ally, Hitler and his Nazis to invade and occupy Greece for five years. Greeks put up a gallant and sustained resistance against the Nazi occupiers. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a letter to the Greek Ambassador, I say that Greece has set the example which every one of us must follow until the despoilers of freedom everywhere have been brought to their just doom.”
Last year was the Bicentenary of Greek Independence when Greeks rose against their Ottoman occupiers of 400 years. One of the first anti-colonial wars was a spark for abolitionist and anti-colonial independence movements across the globe.
This watershed event was a catalyst for migration to the United States and Australia and docuseries looks at the foundations of a Greek Australian community during the gold rush of the 1850’s and follows the diaspora to the mas migration post-war 1949-1970 and up to the most recent migration wave post-Greek Financial Crisis.
Peter Stefanidis. Photo: Supplied
Bill Papastergiadis OAM. Photo: Supplied
Costas Markos. Photo: Supplied
Dean Kalymniou. Photo: Supplied
Dr George Vasilopoulos. Photo: Supplied
Dr Konstantina Dounis. Photo: Supplied
Leonidas Vlahakis. Photo: Supplied
Maria Vamvakinou MP. Photo: Supplied
Mike Zafiropoulos AM. Photo: Supplied
Mary Coustas. Photo: Supplied
Weekly episodes will drop every Thursday on LinkedIn and YouTube and via live stream on Just Gold’s LinkedIn account.
The series is produced with the support of the Victorian Government with community support from the Panepirotic Federation of Australia, Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia and Food for Thought Network. It wants to engage t Greek Australians and the wider community on the origins of one of Melbourne’s most vibrant communities.
The launch of the docuseries coincides with the opening of the Greek Community of Melbourne’s (GCM) Antipodes Festival, the first one after a two year absence forced by the Covid pandemic.
Some of the figures of the Greek community attending include, federal Labor parliamentarian Maria Vamvakinou, academics Dr George Vassilacopoulos, Dr Konstandina Dounis, Neos Kosmos contributor and public intellectual Dean Kalymniou, the president of the community leaders Bill Papastergiadis president of the GCM and Peter Stefanidis, president of the Pontian Federation Australia.
The producers, Just Gold Digital Agency, Australia’s is a social enterprise whose mission it said in statement is to “empower people and tear down social barriers.” “Its profits contribute to pro-bono or low-bono services that empower people and organisations who work to end social issues.”
More: www.thinkgreek.com.au and on socials @wearejustgold
