The screening of the documentary “THEN THE DEAD DIE, WHEN THEY ARE FORGOTTEN”, on Friday, 21 November 2014, at the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center, in the Marmara hall, was a great success attended by a large audience. The documentary is directed by Aggeliki Aristomenopouloy, the script is by Nikos Michaelidis, the music is by Mimis Plessas and narrated by Sia Kosioni.
The event, held and organised by the active Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi, was attended by important protagonists of the political, artistic, academic and press industry from Greece and Turkey. The event was honoured by His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who also offered symbolic gifts to the main makers of the documentary.
The event started with a greeting and speech by Mr. Nikos Michaelidis, the man behind the idea and is the heart and soul of this production, who stated that the largest Greek-Orthodox cemetery of Turkey, Sisli, is one of the most spectacular cemeteries in Europe and that its monuments are equal to or even better than those of the most renowned cemetery in Paris, the Père Lachaise. He also noted that its conservation is essential, as it shows the great culture of the Rums of Istanbul and that the cemetery is a place of collective memory, which we must treat with respect to honour the memory of our dead. Finally, he pointed out that tombs of a people reflect its civilisation and that they are of great importance in writing the history of a place.
Then, the renowned Greek journalist Sia Kosioni, who was also the moderator of the presentation, addressed the audience and introduced His Eminence Metropolitan of Tranoupoli Germanos, who congratulated the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi on its innovative initiative to create this excellent, as he called it, Historical documentary, while he also congratulated all its makers.
Then the Chairman of the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi, Mr Georgios Papaliaris, took the floor, who stated the following: “We started the project for the conservation, restoration and preservation of our cemetery in Sisli… It was an extensive project and proved to be much larger than we had originally anticipated. Salvage works began 4 years ago. Along with the monuments, work has been carried out, and still continues, on the conservation of the approximately 38,000 sqm of the Sisli Cemetery, the streets and auxiliary buildings. Specifically, 44 funerary monuments were repaired and restored. The repair and restoration of the ossuary, which had been completely abandoned since 1955, was completed. At the same time, work continues on the maintenance and repair of the small but exceptionally beautiful Church of the Transfiguration, erected in the cemetery premises by the Skilitsis family in 1888. After painstaking efforts, we also received the title deed to the Sisli Cemetery. Finally, the Council of Archaeological Monuments, by a recent decision issued just on 12 November, decided to include the Rum cemetery of Sisli in the protected monuments of our city and to amend the relevant plan of the cemetery to include the Church of the Transformation that is located in the cemetery, although it had not been recorded in its official plans. At the same time, permission was given for the restoration and conservation of the church.” Mr. Papaliaris closed his speech by thanking all the sponsors and all those who supported this great project in various ways. The last speech was delivered by His All-Holiness.
The audience also had the chance to enjoy a mini-recital of piano by the living legend of the Greek music industry, composer Mimis Plessas, who also signed the music of this production The event ended with the screening of the documentary.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi would like to thank everyone who attended and honoured the event with their presence and hopes to a future meeting in upcoming events of the Community.
