The Golden Chain of Mercy is a pioneering film about the Australian efforts to rescue the survivors of the Genocides of the indigenous peoples of the Ottoman Empire, the Armenians, the Assyrians and the Hellenes.
For the first time, there is a cinematographic tribute to the unsung heroes who stretched ‘the Golden Chain of Mercy’ around the world: from Australia and New Zealand to Anatolia, Armenia, Assyria and Hellas.
On Sunday, August 25 at Event Cinemas Top Ryde City from 3pm, there will be a special screening of The Golden Chain of Mercy, the film which unveils poignant stories of survival and compassion that transcend borders.
Amidst this darkness, a glimmer of hope emerges through the sacrifice of ANZAC unit fighters, alongside the benevolent citizens of Australia and New Zealand who came to their aid.
The Golden Chain of Mercy is a testament to humanity’s unwavering resolve to uphold justice and kindness in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Following the screening, patrons will be treated to a special Q&A with producer Manvel Saribekyan and genocide scholar Dr Panayiotis Diamadis (of the Aust. Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies).
The 29th Greek Film Festival of Sydney has announced its complete line up of quality Greek films for 2024.
The Greek Film Festival, organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW) and proudly presented by Metaxa, will run from 15-27 October 2024 and will present 33 works in total.
In an exciting development for this year’s edition, the Film Festival will be housed in two homes as it screens its full program of feature films at its standard home of Palace Cinemas Norton Street, as well as the new location of Palace Cinemas Moore Park.
The 13-day event will feature many Australian premieres for Greek films, a major one being Eva Nathena’s Murderess which is based on Alexandros Papadiamantis’ novel of the same name.
GREECE. Attica. Marathon. Filming of ‘Fonissa’ (Murderess) by View Master Films.
The premiere will headline the schedule of screenings organised for Moore Park.
This year’s edition will also include a retrospective on the great Greek Director, Nikos Koundouros, presented in partnership with and curated by the Melbourne Cinémathèque.
Sydney audiences will get a glimpse into Koundouros, whose film The Ogre of Athens has been consistently voted the number one Greek film of all time by the Hellenic Film Critics’ Association.
Another key aspect of the calendar is the 12th Greek Student Film Festival, which will present some excellent works from youth following a successful filmmaking workshop that took place on Saturday 17 August.
The 13-day event will also feature exciting screenings with Q&A sessions, as well as other special events which will be announced soon.
The owner of supermarket IGA Richmond in Tasmania, Kosta Tzortzis has been offering customers five per cent discounts if they pay in cash.
Mr Tzortzis has been offering the discounts since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and he’s hoping the idea catches on, as the debate over a “cashless society” intensifies.
“I’m surprised by how much attention it’s been getting,” Mr Tzortzis told 9news.com.au.
The Richmond IGA, 30 minutes from Hobart.
The supermarket owner said he decided to launch the idea after noticing hidden charges that come with using credit cards.
Mr Tzortzis said elderly customers love it, while younger customers still prefer to pay with cards on their watch or phone.
Mr Vorillas, who owns chiropractic clinic Kinetic Healthcare in Narellan and Sydney CBD, was suspended for unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
These proceedings were the result of a complaint bought by the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) regarding incidents at Mr Vorillas’ Narellan practice between October 2019 and November 2020.
The NCAT found Mr Vorillas failed to obtain a patient’s informed consent prior to conducting a groin massage, and rib and chest massage, and inappropriately touched her intimate areas during a treatment session.
Mr Vorillas also failed to make and keep adequately detailed records in relation to the patient.
Sydney chiropractor Christos Vorillas has been suspended from practising.
Whilst the NCAT noted Mr Vorillas’ actions a serious and reckless breach, they were “not for sexual gratification” and “not intentional.”
Mr Vorillas’ legal representative asked the tribunal to consider a reprimand and the chiropractor’s “otherwise unblemished” 15-year career when handing down a sentence.
The tribunal stated a reprimand would be “insufficient.” Mr Vorillas’ registration was suspended for six months, and he must undergo education in relation to clinical boundaries and ethics.
Mr Vorillas has not been formally charged over the matter.
Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Greek Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in his US Open first round.
Kokkinakis is ranked number 84 in the world and will undoubtedly be a tough match.
If Tsitsipas manages to overcome the obstacle of the 28-year-old, then he himself is expected to face the winner of the Borges-Coria pair in the second round of the tournament, while in the third it is very likely that Felix Oze Aliassim will be waiting for him.
In fact, in the event that Tsitsipas manages to reach the round of 16 of the US Open for the first time in his career, then, barring a shocking prospect, he will compete against Medvedev.
First place was taken by Miltiadis Tentoglou at the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland. The two-time “gold” Olympic long jump medallist achieved his best performance at 8.06 metres.
Until the fifth attempt, Tentoglou was in third place with a best jump of 7.97 meters.
7.97 metres (-0.5) gave him the right to make another jump, since in the Diamond League only the top three make the last attempt. Tentoglou claimed the victory on his sixth jump.
With this victory (his 12th in a row this year), Tentoglou secured his participation in the Diamond League final which will take place in Brussels on September 13 and 14.
Maria Louiza Gkika won the silver medal at the U17 Wrestling World Championships. The Greek champion competed in the final at 43kg against Indian wrestler Aditee and lost with a score of 7-0.
In the final, the Indian champion, being a year older, took an early lead in the score. Despite Gkika’s impressive efforts, she could not threaten or turn the match around.
Maria Louiza Gkika (right) won the silver medal at the U17 Wrestling World Championships.
This is undoubtedly a significant achievement, as in her first year in the category, Gkika managed to reach the podium and make it to the final.
The consistency of the Greek champion is noteworthy, as she has now won her fifth medal at European and World Championships in three years.
Shortly after, Mary Mani contested for the second medal for Greece, competing for the bronze medal at 57kg. Mani lost in a tight match with a score of 5-1 to Kazakh wrestler Stratan. She was ahead with a 1-1 score, but Stratan scored four points and won the bronze medal.
Nelly Klavdiou’s passion for Greek and Cypriot dance has been a lifelong journey, deeply rooted in her early experiences and dedication to preserving her cultural heritage. Alongside her husband, Harry, she founded the Sydney Sizmos Greek Dance Co in 2007, a venture that quickly gained popularity due to the hard work and love of their students, parents, and assistant teachers.
Nelly and Harry founded Sydney Sizmos Greek Dance Co in 2007.
Nelly’s personal journey in dance began at the age of seven at Paroula Thurban Dance School, a pivotal experience she credits as the foundation of her career.
“Without her, this journey wouldn’t exist and I’m forever grateful,” Nelly tells The Greek Herald.
In 2020, Nelly and Harry took on a new challenge, returning to the Cyprus Community of NSW Dance School, despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their resilience paid off, and today, the school boasts over 120 students, continuing to grow and keeping the culture alive.
“We knew that we would come back stronger,” Nelly says, highlighting the importance of community support and the dedicated efforts of their assistant dance teachers and newly formed dance committee.
Nelly’s involvement with the Cyprus Community of NSW Dance School actually began back in 1999 when she introduced the Modern Greek dance program as part of the school’s curriculum. Although her initial journey with the school ended in 2005, nearly two decades later, Nelly found herself once again teaching the next generation of dancers.
While the primary focus remains on traditional Cypriot dance, Nelly recognised the appeal of fusing Greek dance steps with modern music, a trend that remains popular today.
“This new chapter is very rewarding,” she shares, emphasising the joy of teaching not only new students but also the children of her former students.
Today, the Cyprus Community of NSW Dance School caters to dancers of all ages, starting from as young as four years old, up to high school and university students. Nelly and her team ensure the dances taught are culturally appropriate and accurately depict Cypriot traditions.
“Our main goal is making sure the students are happy, safe, and make lifelong friendships,” Nelly explains.
The School provides more than just dance instruction; they tell the stories behind the dances, ensuring students understand the rich history and significance of Cypriot culture.
For Nelly, promoting Cypriot culture through dance is not just important, but essential.
“Promoting the Cypriot culture to the next generation is extremely important not only to Harry and I, but everyone in the Cypriot community,” she says.
“The Cypriot culture is rich in food, history, and dance. Being involved and committed to retelling this is a blessing; we don’t want to lose our roots, our Cypriot traditions, and if dance can continue this, then Harry and I know we have contributed to the children’s cultural experience.”
Looking ahead, Nelly is excited about the future of the Cyprus Community of NSW Dance School. With a strong foundation and a growing number of students, the group is well-positioned to continue its mission of preserving and promoting Cypriot culture through dance.
Nelly’s personal motto, “keep on dancing, keep on smiling,” reflects her belief in the healing power of dance and music, a sentiment she shares with all her students.
“To me, dance and music is a healing power, and I’m forever thankful for that,” Nelly concludes, embodying the spirit of dedication and passion that has guided her throughout her remarkable journey.
Following the impressive success of last year’s event, Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) schools are holding their annual dance for the second year on Friday, October 4 at the beautiful Vogue Ballroom in Burwood East.
This evening, featuring food and live music by the Rhythmos Band, is an excellent opportunity for all members of the GCM school community to come together in a great joint celebration.
Students from all campuses, parents, friends and teachers will gather for an unforgettable evening full of surprises, music, and lots of dancing to celebrate the end of a busy but highly productive school year.
“The aim of this event is to strengthen the bonds between the members of our school community and to develop relationships that are meaningful and lasting – relationships that will continue after the end of school and reinforce our Greek cultural and linguistic identity,” Maria Bakalidou, Director of GCM Schools, said.
“We are looking forward to this evening, where we will join together in great company and enjoy a Greek feast that we will all remember for a long time!”
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has sent a video message to Greek Orthodox people in Australia ahead of his historic visit to the country in October.
Before his visit, the Ecumenical Patriarch sent “a warm and heartfelt greeting” to the Greek Orthodox community in Australia.
“I look forward to my visit in October,” he said in the video message.
“We will come to bring the wishes and the blessing of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, to which the Greek community of Australia is devoted to… See you soon!”
The Ecumenical Patriarch will arrive in Sydney on Friday, October 4, before an official Welcoming Doxology on Saturday, October 5 at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Redfern.
On Sunday, October 6, there will be a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the International Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICC) – Sydney Theatre. An official dinner will also be taking place on Tuesday, October 8 at the ICC – Grand Ballroom.
The Ecumenical Patriarch will next be in Melbourne, arriving on Saturday, October 12. A Patriarchal Divine Liturgy will be held on Sunday, October 13 at Margaret Court Arena, followed by a National Parade at KIA Arena. On Monday, October 14, an Official Dinner will take place at Centrepiece at Melbourne Park.
As for the remainder of his stay, the Ecumenical Patriarch is expected to visit and meet with various Greek Orthodox churches and local communities.
