Greece This month
In this issue:
• 11th Annual Greek Roadshow • 2nd Hellenic Festival • Greece in London Design Biennale ‘16 • Parliament Sq. refugee lifejackets display • Evgenia Tzannini crosses the English Channel • “First Line” for the Parthenon Marbles
11th Annual Greek Roadshow in London (20-22 September 2016) The 11th Annual Greek Roadshow, organized by the Athens Stock Exchange, took place between 22- 22 September at Bloomberg Headquarters in London. The representatives of the Athens Stock Exchange, the Capital Market Commission and 29 listed companies and foreign funds gathered together to exchange views on the developments in the Greek banking and investment sector, as well as the aftermath of the British referendum. A total of 550 one-on-one meetings took place between the participating listed companies, 80 investment funds and 120 analysts and portfolio managers. The Managing Director of the Athens Exchange Group Mr. Sokratis Lazaridis, in his statement, emphasized that “This year’s Roadshow in London is the 11th in a series hosted every year. Together with the corresponding New York roadshow and other initiatives, 1
it aims at promoting the Athens Exchange Group within the framework of promoting the Greek economy at international financial centers of Europe and America. European investors, as indicated by our two day meetings in London, closely monitor Greek companies - this is suggested by the participation data of investment firms and the number of meetings with companies studying corporate results, evaluating investment alternatives and preparing for placement. The completion of the evaluation and the developments in the banking sector are likely to affect the factors that determine their investment behavior.” The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, Mr. Alexis Charitsis, who was
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the keynote speaker on a panel discussion, during the briefing session that took place on September 22, under the title “Greek capital markets speeding up the real economy’”. The topics covered concerned the prospects of the Greek Economy and the related investment opportunities, as well as the major reforms introduced to achieve sustainable development. Mr. Charitsis, in a brief statement, stressed that “Our participation in the Roadshow and the related meetings held with the Greek and the international business community triggered strong interest in the political and economic developments in Greece and, as well as in the emerging investment opportunities. We presented comprehensively the strategy of the Greek government on a financial, macroeconomic and developmental level that ensures stabilization of the economy and its return to growth.”
2nd Hellenic Festival in London (9 October 2016) ‘Coming Together’ and ‘Sing Along’
Following last year’s success and by public demand, the 2nd London Hellenic Festival was held on the 9th of October 2016 at the Hellenic Centre in London. It was a day full of events, organised by the Hellenic Centre
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and Ark4Art, with the support of the Press and Communication Office of the Greek Embassy in London, bringing together the Greek and the Cypriot communities, giving them a chance to attend cultural and artistic events as well as to debate on this year’s theme which was ‘Coming Together’. Through various arts, a platform was created addressing the main question ‘how the experience of living abroad has changed you and how this experience can contribute to the situation of your country?’
The sold-out event started with the Screening of ‘’Eden is West’’, a film made by the renowned Greek -French director Costas Gavras which conceptually describes the journey of an illegal migrant (Elias) to Paris. An open - panel discussion on how Greeks can reshape and rebrand Greece followed, during which the participants shared their experience they gain from living abroad. Issues of identity and how expats can harness difficulties in their countries were raised, as well as the issue of their voting rights in Greek elections. The panel coordinator was Xenia Bolomiti, while the participants were Greek young professionals, who shared the experience of their everyday life in London: Thanasis Chavales, Yannis Paleoyelis, Roulla 2
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Demetriou, Paty Paliokosta. At the end of the discussion an interesting poll was presented by Stefanos Livos about the voting rights of the Greek diaspora. The closing event was a live concert, under the title ‘’Sing Along’’, performed by Giorgis Christodoulou and Anastasia Spyrou. The leading voices were accompanied by the pianist, Harris Stavrakakis, a performance previously acclaimed from Megaro Moussikis in Athens and Thessaloniki, to the Opera Houses of Cairo, Alexandria and Barcelona. The music revived the era of the 1920s as amazing melodies mingled with songs and anecdotes from that period. Two photographic exhibitions were also running that day under the title ‘’Athens, my Revolution- a writer’s diary’’ by Dina Kafiris and ‘’Ideals amalgam’’ by Georgios Zambas that contributed to the warm and vintage atmosphere, while providing an unforgettable experience for the audience!
The team of ‘Greece this Month’ were there to speak with one of the organizers of the Festival, Mr Dimitrios Kraniotis, who explained how this imitative started one year ago, its goals and intentions, as well as and their future plans. ‘The idea of the Hellenic Festival started by a ‘complaint’. So that we all Greeks and Cypriots who live in London, with different backgrounds, ages, interests, come together and rebrand Greece. We may not have 3
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the same hobbies, the same musical or artistic tastes or the same social circles and groups
here. But what we have in common is certainly our need to share our experiences, our concerns and our dreams of how to move away from home here and how we will build our own home. And what seems better than doing so through the path of art, the link that can generate this meeting platform!
The Greek pavilion in the London Design Biennale 2016 ‘The Utopian Landscape’ The first ever London Design Biennale took place from 7-27 September2016, exploring big questions and ideas about sustainability, migration, pollution, energy, cities and social equality. Designers, architects and artists from 37 countries took over Sommerset House for three weeks, showcasing their creations, inspired by the theme ‘Utopia’. Among them, two Greeks, Zoe and Niki Moskofoglou, displayed the Greek installation, a marble sculpture using the same stone as the quarry in Dionysos that was mined for the Parthenon in Athens, as a metaphor for the longevity of migration and trade routes. The team of ‘Greece this Month’ were happy to meet and discuss with Zoe and Niki
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Moskofoglou about their participation, their goals, the reception of their creation from the audience and their decision to display their work at the doorsteps of the Greek Embassy. “It was a unique experience for us to participate in the first ever London Design Biennale, representing Greece amongst other 36 nations from 6 continents. It was really i Utopia by Design, was addressed by 37 original / different viewpoints of each country. Our entry approached Utopia taking on the Greek origin of the word ‘ου+τοπος’ which means no place. Our intention was to contextualise population movements through Greece and travels of Greek “Pentelikon” marble in a historical & geographic context. In this sense the cultural landscape of Penteli was a key backdrop”
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We can now confidently say that at least for some of the visitors, this was experienced”. As far as their decision to allow the marble sculpture to be hosted at the Greek Embassy, they stated: “Our narrative talks about travels of marble and people. And also talks about the particular journey of the marble sculpture we designed for Biennale, from the quarry in Dionysos to Somerset House. Being the first London Biennale and having already the support of the Greek Embassy, we felt that it was a natural progression for the sculpture to be next hosted at the entrance yard of the Greek Embassy before it reaches its final home. It is an honour for us to have this piece at the Greek Embassy and we hope that visitors who did not experience the materiality of marble at the London Design Biennale,will have the chance to do so
Samothrace “Tout mecenes!” was the encouraging title of a crowdfunding campaign aiming at the restoration of the statue, widely known as the “Winded Victory of Samothrace”, at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Three years later, in October 2016, the President of the Centre Culturel Hellénique, Paris Mrs Alexandra Mitsotakis, explained to the wide audience of the film screening event that took place at the Hellenic Centre (October 10), how this campaign con“The three weeks of the exhibition allowed for a stituted the inspiration for the “Paths of Culsignificant and diverse flow of people through ture-Samothraki” concept. the Greek entry. Their feedback was exhilarating; not only were we identified by NY Times among the top 5 pavilions, but we had numerous people querying about the Greek marble today and wanting to visit Penteli first hand. So, one of the main goals we set when we first got involved, was to try and reveal a positive dimension of Greece and present it, if not as a utopia, but as a place of desire.” 4
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Apart from empowering the restoration of the statue, the main aim of the project has been the cultural promotion of the equally impressive island of its origin, and especially at a time where “the image of the country has been quite negatively influenced by the economic and refugee crisis”, Mrs Mitsotakis stressed in her introductory speech. The idea has been successfully materialized by the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage and sponsored by A. G. Leventis Foundation, culminating in a documentary about the history, culture and people of the island, directed by Angeliki Aristomenopoulou, co-produced by “White Room” and supported by the filmmaker Costa Gavras. The importance of the above initiative was underlined by Mrs Mitsotakis, not only in terms of institutional partnership, but also as one of the main principles of the project, along with the combination of nature and culture, the participation of local community, through technical occupations and promotion of local products, and most importantly, the awareness raising of locals for the value of protecting their own environment.
This unique relationship of native habitants with Samothrace was expressed from the director’s perspective, through the eyes of five permanent residents, each of whom revealed a different aspect of the northern Greek island, as the documentary’s storyline evolved. Particularly, the Spanish woman Carlota who first visited the island through the Erasmus stu5
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dent mobility program, suggested how vivid a relationship of a young couple could be, even within the “fulfilling” silence of such a place. Through a “celestial” ride of a native cyclist and breathtaking long camera shots, the audience explored the crystal-clear waterfalls and the “moon” of Samothrace, commonly known as mountain “Saos”, proving how an island “small in size” may have “enormous natural beauty”. The contradictory but harmoniously co-existing “old-city” of the island was introduced through the eyes of two older locals, who presented ‘Paliapoli’, describing the Samothracian Mysteries that used to take place at the famous “Sanctuary of the Great Gods”, where the “Victory of Samothrace” statue was found. The short documentary film appeared to receive a mostly positive response during the dynamic post-screening discussion, which was also recognized by Ms Dimopoulou, international programs’ manager of the A. G. Leventis Foundation. Many participants commented on director’s “skilful montage”, while others mentioned the issue of direct accessibility to the seemingly isolated island, which according to Mrs Mitsotakis, will probably be resolved next summer. Finally, to the question regarding youth participation in the project, raised by one of the Greek Embassy’s in Lon-
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don interns/reporters, it was stated that many schools have already visited the statue at the Louvre museum, and screenings may take place in classrooms in the future, but for the
time being a “step by step” approach would be followed. Nevertheless, with screenings already taken place at the Acropolis Museum, and invitations from cultural institutions in Brussels, Rome and Istanbul, among others, the 30-minute journey to the unique destination of Samothrace seems to have the potential to travel “beyond”, as one of its residents suggested during the documentary, and we can only wish the very best.
Parliament Square refugee life jackets display
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tionalRescue Committee and World Vision, took the aforementioned initiative so as to highlight the biggest challenge that Europe and the world face nowadays, i.e. the refugee crisis. ‘’650 of the total number of life jackets displayed were worn by children, as one could still see the Disney stickers on them’’, the Vice President & Deputy Executive Director at International Rescue Committee, Sanj Srikanthan, stated. Representatives of the Project “Urgent Funding Appeal: Life Jacket Recycle: Recycling Life Jackets and Buoyancy Aids to Africaa” were also amongst the attendants, with the aim to distribute the gathered life jackets to fishermen of Lake Victoria, where many of them are drowned every year.
The First Greek team to cross the English Channel The story of Evgenia Tzannini In 1926, when 19-year-old Gertrude Ederle snatched the world record for swimming the English Channel, it was a triumph for the women’s rights movement. Years later, another woman – this time our very own Evgenia Tzannini – along with other co-athletes attempted to do the same. Here is her fascinatApproximately 15,000 life jackets, worn ing story.
by refugees during their life-threatening journey across the Mediterranean, were displayed on September 19 at the Parliament Square in London and the Brooklyn Bridge Gardens in New York, in order to raise the profile of the UN Refugee Summit taking place on the same day in New York.
A coalition of campaigners from charities all over the world including the Interna6
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It was 8.45pm on the evening of 6 August 1926 when Gertrude Ederle, a 19-year-old American from New York - after 13 and a half hours in the water - was on the brink of becoming the first woman to swim the 21-mile Channel, from Dover – England - to Cape Griz-Nez across the English Channel, which separates Great Britain from the northwestern tip of France. 90 years later, another brilliant woman, Evgenia Tzannini, attempted the same and succeeded.
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ing and remarkable contribution to the fight against an ecumenical depressed feminism and a clear statement to all of those who doubted her. Evgenia Tzannini’s successful crossing of the 21-mile Channel was not implemented by individual motives though but was mainly a service to those in need. Like Gertrude, Evgenia, 90 years later, found the way to support ELEPAP and make her message heard “We are very happy that we managed the impossible! Despite the great physical and mental fatigue we are all feeling completed as we practically fought for a good cause through a game that symbolizes the will for strength”. Short Bio
Evgenia Tzannini was born in Sparta and raised in Naxos Island, Greece, and she is the daughter of Maria Bempetsou - Tzannini, Professor of Physical Education who has written its own history in Naxos educational system. While being an Attorney at the Supreme Court and a member of the Bar Association of Athens since 1991, Evgenia Tzannini is also a member of the Association des Juristes de As a captain of the first Greek team - Pastra Droit Public Compare (Paris) since 1990, and Cretonaxiosa group -to attempt the crossing the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Lonof the English Channel in relay format – along with Claus Maroulis, Vangelis Zourmpakis, Sotiris Pastras – old champion of swimming with participation in two Olympic Games, Apostle Ttsagarakis, Constantine Mihos, Elli Flegga and Theodore Zoumboulakis managed to succeed to their sacred goal: To raise money to support the work of Greek Disabled Persons Protection and Rehabilitation Society (ELEPAP) and buy a bus for the needs of children. As Evgenia pointed out while being interviewed “This entire trip we have made, captivates us. We laughed and we had fun, but its purpose was that drove us all in every sin- don). She is a graduate of the Athens Law School with a successful completion of the gle moment”. exercises before the Council of State (1990) and postgraduate studies in Paris I - Pantheon Ederle’s triumph in 1926 had been an astonish- Sorbonne in Comparative Public Law of Eu7
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ropean Countries. To her exceptional studies comes to be added the certification in mediation by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) and the Harvard Negotiation Institute.
‘’The First Line’’ - A film on the Parthenon Marbles
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unrest. It is a story of two Athenian attorneys, Andreas ( Pantelis Kodogiannis ) and Eleni (Kassandra Voyagis) who pursue legal action against the British Museum for the return of the Parthenon Marbles in Greece. As the bronze statue of ‘Athena Promakhos’ used to stand guard in front of the Parthenon, both must find the courage to stand in defense of what they love.
The movie has been officially selected, inter ‘’A magnificent and extraordinary piece of work’’ alia, at the international film festival of ThesStephen Fry saloniki and at the Australian Greek festival, while it is also available to watch exclusively Marking the 200th anniversary of the British on Netflix UΚ. Museum acquisition of the Parthenon Marbles, ‘The First Line’, directed and written by two brothers, Coert and John Voorhees, had its international premiere in London, on September 28, at the Curzon, Mayfair, while it was recently screened at the National Gallery Follow us : A Pint of Greece of Art in Washington DC. Greek Embassy in UK @GreeceinUK @greece_in_uk
Written, produced and directed by the brothers Coerte and John Voorhees, the cast includes renowned foreign and Greek actors such as Giancarlo Giannini (Casino Royale), Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Michael Byrne (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Georges Corraface, Yorgo Voyagis, as well as the leading actors of the film, Pantelis Kodogiannis and Kassandra Voyagis. The film is set in modern day Athenduring the European economic crisis and political 8