Smyrni mou agapimeni

I am in this! So I can't review it. I loved the script- co written with Martin Sherman.

This film adapted from the hugely successful stage play by Mimi Denissou.

Couldn't fly out to Athens for the premiere Dec23 because of Covid restrictions.

I loved the crew.- multi lingual most of them. Thanks be.

This is a great, very well-done movie for those who are interested in this dark moment of the city. Notwithstanding the details of the fictional characters, the historical portrayal of what happened is pretty accurate: the abandonment of the Greek army by the Allied forces and the support, instead, of the Turks (who were fighting against them in WWI); the political and civil strife within the Greek mainland; the peaceful (for the most part) cohabitation of all ethnic groups before the start of the war; the destruction inflicted on the local population by the Greek army as they were advancing inland; the purposeful setting of fire by Turks (even American witnesses have written about this); the unacceptable and horrifying refusal of all third countries (including Western powers to help the Greek population that was cornered in the seafront; the massacre, rape, and other atrocities perpetrated against Greek and Armenian residents by militia group of Turks as well as the looting and destruction of properties before the Turkish army intervened.

It's a good movie and worth a watch. Acting is ok. Shows violence and sexual scene. Highlights the tension between Greeks and Turks, and the unjust Turkish occupation of Smyrna, which eventually led to the city's destruction. After the Turkish army invades Smyrna, Greece, the Turkish army massacres countless Greek and Armenian residents making the rest refugees. A darker moment in history.

*Beware of the Turkish propaganda thriving in this comments section though. Sadly this always the case with any mention of Greek or Armenian.. Odd that Erdogan still uses this time frame as a reference and veiled threat towards Greeks and Armenians today. All I can say is you can't rewrite history, but we sure as heck can keep it there. No one wants this again in any direction.

Lots of claims of inaccuracies but it seems that those claims are wrong according to Wikipedia: Burning_of_Smyrna. Also, the claim they Smyrna was always Turkish is not true, it was founded by Ancient Greeks according to Wikipedia: Smyrna. The movie is worth watching in its own right without having to get into politics. The set is beautiful and the story compelling. The music and discussion at the end can be skipped. Some acting was not the best but overall it was good. The costumes were on par. It really captured what it was like to live there at that time. Yes, it was told from the Greek point of view but what do expect from a Greek movie.

"Smyrna," "Smyrna, My Beloved," also known as "Smyrna, Agapimeni Mou" commemorates the 100th anniversary of the destruction of Smyrna.

A century after the catastrophe of Smyrna comes to life a moving drama about a Greek woman whose family diary recounts the 1922 burning of the cosmopolitan city of Smyrna where Greeks, Armenians, Arabs, Jews, and Turks once lived together harmoniously.

The legendary actress Mimi Denissi is the creative force behind the masterpiece. The film is based on her play, which ran in Athens for an astonishing three seasons and was seen by more than one million viewers. She co-wrote the script and stars in the film.

As someone with roots from Smyrna, this movie shares so many common stories with those that my ancestors have passed down for generations about the atrocities that happened 100 year ago. The film was made with stunning imagery and remarkable historical accuracy.