AHI Hosts Screenings of Groundbreaking PBS Cyprus Documentary in St. Louis, Chicago

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) took its series of “Town Hall Screenings” of the one-hour documentary “Cyprus Still Divided: A U.S. Foreign Policy Failure” to St. Louis, Mo., November 9, 2011 and Chicago, November 10, 2011.  A discussion about the documentary and the Cyprus issue featuring AHI President Larigakis followed each screening.

Assumption Orthodox Church, Town & Country, Mo., was the venue for the first screening.  It was held in cooperation with AHEPA’s two St. Louis Chapters, 53 and 395 and The Hellenic Spirit Foundation; and co-sponsored by the Cyprus Federation of America and Cyprus Committee of St. Louis.  AHI is grateful for the efforts of Nicholas Karakas, president The Hellenic Spirit Foundation for helping to organize the St. Louis screening and for moderating the panel discussion that followed.

A second screening was held in Chicago at National Hellenic Museum in cooperation with the Hellenic American Leadership Council and co-sponsored by the National Hellenic Museum, Cretan Fraternity of Chicago, and the Cypriot-American Society of Chicago.  AHI appreciates the efforts of Endy Zemenides, executive director, Hellenic American Leadership Council for helping to organize the Chicago event and for moderating the panel discussion that followed. Among those in attendance were: Ioanna Efthymiadou, consul general of Greece; former Illinois State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate Alexi Giannoulias, Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, Judges Peggy Chiampas and Anna Demacopoulos, Leo Louchios, senior advisor for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White; and Bill Kourouklis, deputy treasurer of Cook County.

“The documentary sheds light and scrutinizes U.S. foreign policy toward Cyprus surrounding the 1974 Turkish invasion,” said AHI President Larigakis.  “We are deeply grateful to the outstanding support provided by the Greek American communities of St. Louis and Chicago, and specifically the efforts of Nick Karakas and Endy Zemenides. It was a pleasure to work in cooperation with so many organizations dedicated to raising awareness about the Cyprus issue in their communities. Our goal is to encourage communities to urge their PBS affiliates to air the documentary.”

The documentary has aired on Maryland Public Television (October 17, 2011) and Detroit Public Television (September 13, 2010). The documentary was made possible by the support of the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.

To view a preview of the documentary on YouTube, please click here.

AHI previously hosted “Town Hall Screenings” at Clearwater, Fla., New York City, Ohio, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento; and Portland, Ore., and Phoenix, Mexico City, Mexico, and New Jersey. An upcoming screening is planned for Norfolk, Va., December 14, 2011, at the AHEPA Chapter 122 Home. Please visit www.ahiworld.org calendar for updates.

The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.

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For additional information, please contact Demetra Atsaloglou at (202) 785-8430 or at pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at https://www.ahiworld.org.