The handcrafted short animation film Agapi, directed by Julia Speropoulos, is currently making successful rounds internationally. The film is a poignant portrayal centered on the second phase of the Pontic Greek genocide orchestrated by the Young Turks and then Kemalist forces from 1914 to 1923.
The title, Agapi, is both symbolic and literal, referencing the name of the film’s protagonist. Set shortly after 1921, the story follows 13-year-old Agapi, who, along with her mother and younger brother, is forced out of their homeland in Kotyora, Pontus. Their expulsion marks the beginning of a harrowing “white death” march through the harsh winter landscapes of eastern Anatolia.
Historically, the film is rooted in the events following the decline of the Ottoman Empire and its defeat in the First Balkan War. The Young Turks rose to power in 1908, with their real and ominous goal subsequently emerging, i.e. establishing a purely Sunni Muslim Turkish nation by eliminating Christian and non-Muslim populations.
Agapi is set during the growing power of Mustafa Kemal and his nationalists forces 1921, whose regime imposed ethnic cleansing at every turn, displacing Greek families from their ancestral lands. Among others, “death marches” forced them to walk through heavy snow, up to one or two meters deep, without food or water for days.
The Animation Agapi fim will premiere on May 18 at the “It’s Greek to Me” event by the Hellenic Film Society at MoMI in New York City. It’s also a Best Animation nominee at the 19th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, screening on May 27, and will compete for the Animation Award at the Kinematora Film Festival in Sweden on May 31.
“When a crime goes unpunished, it is repeated,” says Speropoulos. “That is why spreading the story and preserving the memory of what the Pontic Greeks endured nearly a century ago is of the utmost importance, to prevent it from happening again. The creation of this film is a means to share the truth of Pontus and honor the innocent lives lost so unjustly.”
About the Director
Julia Speropoulos was born in Miami, Florida and studied theater at Florida International University and the New York Film Academy. She has performed in plays such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Wizard of Oz, and debuted Free Rider in 2011. Currently, she is celebrating the television premiere of her award-winning documentary 2 Miles from Home, which uses animation to explore the Pontic Greek genocide.
