Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 September at 22.30, on SKAI.
The documentary titled “Refugees of 1922: Life After” presented by Ares Portosalte included in big anniversary tribute of for the commemorating 100 years since the Asia Minor Catastrophe. The two-part documentary will air tonight and tomorrow at 22.30.
Many have spoken and written about the Asia Minor Catastrophe, but few know what happened after 1922, when the refugees were asked to build a life from scratch. In the two episodes of the documentary, 40 second and third generation refugees from all over Greece join their testimonies with historians and tell a moving story of strength and courage, as they experienced it or heard it from their ancestors. The viewers watch the effort of the uprooted people from Asia Minor, Cappadocia and Pontus to be reborn from their ashes, bringing with them their intangible cultural heritage. They also understand the important contribution of these people to the economic development and cultural renaissance of Greece.
Watch the trailer:
Tonight at 22.30, in the first episode, the narrative begins in September 1922, when the face of the country changes for good. Ships full of refugees are constantly arriving from the coasts of Asia Minor, while endless caravans of people from the Pontus trek to the sea. The way in which the refugees arrived in Greece is recounted, while then the titanic effort of the Greek state to settle 1.5 million people on its territory, the humanitarian drama in the sanatoriums and the unknown history of the prisoners of war are presented. Over the years, trauma turns into a miracle. The entrepreneurial spirit of the refugees and their resourceful nature contributes significantly to the development of the agricultural sector of Greece, to the urbanization of the country and also to the development of industry. Thracians from Orestiada, Cappadocians from Nea Karvali, Pontians from Kavala and Naoussa tell on camera their parents’ attempt to turn the tragedy into an epic. In Prokopi, we learn the impressive story of the relic of Saint John the Russian, which was brought by the refugees whole and incorruptible from Cappadocia to Prokopi in Evia. In Nea Lampsako, the residents recount their attempt to build the village church and build a new life from scratch. Giorgos Dalaras, Andreas Katsigiannis and Panagiotis Kounadis tell the story of rebetikos, which springs from the refugee districts and is an integral part of the Greek tradition to this day. We also learn the history of the refugee settlement of Nea Ionia in Athens, which was a model industrial center of the interwar period.
In the second episode, her Thursday, September 15 the elements that were a source of strength for the refugees are highlighted: religion, letters, arts and sports. Indicative of the importance that the arts and letters had in the life of the refugees, is the story told in Naoussa by the refugees from the village of Argyroupoli Pontou, who left behind their clothes and carried with them thousands of books and Byzantine parchments. In Veria, the camera records the important relics from Panagia Soumela, which is a meeting point for the refugees of Northern Greece. In the episode, a tribute is also made to gastronomy and music which are important manifestations of Asia Minor culture but also agents of gradual integration. We listen to each folk song separately, with the background of the villages of Evros and the Pontic villages of Macedonia. As for gastronomy, we enter the kitchens of second and third generation refugees from Pontus, Thrace, Cappadocia and Smyrna and record the flavors and the stories that accompany them. In the epilogue of the documentary, the issues of collective memory management, the integration of refugee populations and, finally, the formation of the new unified Greek identity are touched upon.
Coefficients
Presentation: Ares Portosalte
Directed by: Michalis Roubis
Scenario – Research: Anna Podara
Historical Advisor: Iakovos Michaelidis
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
