Memories of 1974 Press Release

Functioning as the inverse of the landmark documentary Attila ’74, which was made in the immediate aftermath of the junta-engineered coup and Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Memories of 1974 uses the testimonies of Cypriot Canadians to reflect upon the tragedy fifty years later.
This film consists of three sets of interviews that each provide a unique perspective on the events of that fateful summer. Androula Tsoukalas details how her and her husband Chris helped to mobilize the diaspora here in Canada to protest the invasion and provide aid for refugees.
Meanwhile, Andreas and Cleo Frantzeskos chronicle their fleeing of Famagusta, Cleo courageously giving birth amidst the second wave of the Turkish invasion, and how they ended up in Canada.
While born only weeks before the coup, Stella Partheniou Grasso vividly recalls the stories passed down from her family of their descent into refugeehood and the uncertain future they faced going forward.
Tying together these multifaceted interviews is narration by writer, editor, and director Theo Xenophontos, who builds upon the perspectives of his interviewees to ponder the intertwined fates of all Cypriots. “Whether at home or across the diaspora, every Cypriot has been directly impacted by the events of 1974 as we all have relatives who either went missing, or who died, or who became internally displaced, or who migrated elsewhere for a better life,” says Xenophontos. “As such, I wanted to make a film that would honour the legacy of the 1974 generation, while also showing how personal and familial histories cannot be separated from wider history,” concluded Xenophontos.
Central to this thesis is the juxtaposition of interviews personally recorded by Xenophontos with archival footage and photographs. “A key resource for me was photographs taken by Dimitris Mantalas, which were generously donated to York University by Irene Keroglidis, and which are now preserved by the Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives,” said Xenophontos.
As the events of 1974 forever changed the fates of Cypriots around the world, they are integral to comprehending the Cypriot Canadian experience, which can be further understood by delving into the interviews contained within the Digital Portal of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives.

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