The Greek America Foundation is proud to announce that the World Premier of the documentary film “Life Will Smile” will take place on Saturday, October 7 on the island of Zakynthos.
The documentary film, directed by Drey Kleanthous and produced by Nomadic Films and Terramagma Pictures, was developed from its earliest stages with almost $100,000 in funding by members and supporters of the Greek America Foundation.
Watch the teaser here:
Considered to be a critical piece of history— more than seventy years since the fateful events chronicled in the documentary, the film is narrated by Haim Konstantini, an 84-year-old Holocaust survivor who was born and raised on the island of Zakynthos and one of the 275 survivors who made history during World War II.
During World War II, Jews were collected from every corner of Nazi-occupied Europe and sent to concentration camps for extermination. Over 6 million people perished and thousands of Jewish communities throughout Europe were devastated, with one exception.
On the small Greek island of Zakynthos, every single member of the Jewish community survived the war unscathed. It was a unique occurrence in the chronicles of modern European history and one of the greatest untold stories of Greek bravery and courage.
“Life Will Smile” is a 40-minute documentary, directed by Drey Kleanthous, telling the story of the events that took place on Zakynthos in 1943.
More than 500 members and supporters of the Greek America Foundation donated in amounts ranging from $5 to $10,000 to support the development of this project in a broad show of support from throughout the United States, Canada and beyond. All donors above the $100 threshold are listed below.
$10,000+
Peter Karmanos Jr., Libra Capital Inc
$5000+
Katrina Suhre
$2500+
Ben Forta, Frank Kakouros, Elaine Keim, Michael Mitchell, Simon Morton, Lea Soupata
$1000+
Anita Baglaneas, Paula Cokinos, Helene Howard, Georgios Georgiou, Thomas Kalaris, Penelope Laskaris, Leon Logothetis, Mandy Logothetis, Tony Lourakis, Susanne & Eric Metaxas, His Grace Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, Paula Prentiss, Toula Victor, Hellenic Heritage Foundation, customedialabs & Manos Sifakis, Strati Andreadis
$500+
Arthur Balourdos, Tina Livanos, John J Louizos, Mike Manatos, Mike Polychroniades, John Saltas, Patricia Tzakis, Dean Vallis, Lawrence Fabian
$250+
Gus & Evangeline Alpogianis, Maria Argyropoulos, Evangelia Antonakos, Bill Davaris, John T. John, Evyenia Karmi, Anthoula Katsimatides, Elenie Kourouklis , Argyrios Mitsakis, George Pappas, Peter Polydor, Nicholas Skezas, Alexandra Spyridaki, Evellyn Tsiadis, Steven Tsoraides, Greg Yaitanes, Rachel Weinstein, Naomi Antonakos, Andrew Lovinger
$100+
James Adonis, Katina Alahouzos Tanner, Katie Aliferis, Manolis D Alpogianis, Panagiota Andreus, Tia Angelos, Katherine Angelakos, Andreas Antoniou, Sophia Aslanis, Solomon Asser, Christos Athanasopoulos, Marielena Balouris, Spiro Beckas, George Bellios, Aristides Boutsikakis, George Tsaoussis Carter, Monica & Lou Canellis, Zaklin Chatzopoulou, Michael Cheroutes, Peggy Chiampas, Isaac Daniel, Matthew Denos, Lee Diamandakis, Maude DiVittis, Michael & Kitty Dukakis, Peter Economidis, Dean Economos, Savoula Eliopoulos, Stacy Fiorentinos, George Georgopoulos, Chris Giannakas, Georgia Giannopoulos, Janet & George Gougoumanis, Fiona Anastasia Hattersley-Smith, Mark Hokit II, Chris George Hontalas, Simha Hyman, Fotini Iconomopoulos, Andrew Kaffes, Markella Kaloudis Constantine, Nikos Karavitis, Ellen Karis, Eva Katsoulakis, Alexia Katsaounis, Chrysovalantis Kefalas, George Keroglidis, Costa Kiriazakos, Demetre Kiriazakos, Kenneth Knutsson, Jim Kolotouros, Maria Komodikis, Yiorgos Kordakis, Dannis Koromilas, Nicholas Kourtis, John Koveos, Niki Kritikos, Sandra Kurland, Keke Kyriakopoulos, Nicholas Livanos, Nicholas Logothetis, Gerasimos Loukatos, Billy Lourakis, Dr. Nicholas G. Loutsion, Estelle Macdonald, Athan Chrysostom Manuel, George Menzelos, Collie Michaels, Toni Milak, Peter Minaki, The Morelli Family , Eleftherios Monis, Karen Mourtzikos, Nikolitsa Nakos, Alexander Nehamas, Georgette Nicolaides, Nicholas Nikas, Lou Pahountis, Julia Pahountis, Konstantina Pantoulias, Christine Papadakos, Odysseas Papadimitriou, Thomas Papathomas, Sandra Pappas, Theodore Philipakos, Michael Prodanou, Vassiliki Rapti, Maria Rasoulis, Anne Reis, Kleon Skourtis, Stephanie Sakellaris Snyder, Takis Solomos, Thomas Souleles, Christos Sourligas, George Spanoudakis, Fotine Stamatelos, Anna Stamatiou, Helena Stratikopoulos, John Stratoudakis, Kimon Symeondis, Stelios Taketzis, Nicolaos Tapazoglou, Antal Teplan, Nicholas E. Terezis, Pamela Theodotou, Constantine Tsapekis, Angelo Tsarouchas, Louis Tsitsos, Eleni Tsokanos, Emmanuel Vasilomanolakis, Maria Vathis, Jimmy Vervitas, Elias Vokolos, Theo Youngstein, Anthie Zairis, Thomai Stellino Zisidis, Combadi Inc., Raymond Matera, Renee Hoering, Nikolaos Andrikopoulos, Christina Boutari, Giannis Prassinos & Chryssa Pastra, Samantha Boulukos, Kristine Lenrow, Nora Presti, Steve Vranakis, George Moutsatsos, Dr. & Mrs. George Hatsopoulos, Matt Barrett, Paul Berkman, Judy Gross, Philip London, Christos & Elizabeth Manikas, Marina Margulis, Jim Mirkopoulos, Asimakis Pavlis, David Peretz, John Pyrovolakis, John Zoumis, Christopher Tsarnas, Efi Rompoti
