AΤΗΕΝS, Greece. “Proud to meet you”. One could hear British actress and political activist Vanessa Redgrave speak these words to the people surrounding her during her visit to Eleonas temporary accommodation site for refugees and migrants, in Athens, Greece, a couple of weeks ago.   

Redgrave visited the country on the occasion of her collaboration with Greek actress Mimi Denissi in order to adapt the theatrical play written by the latter, “Smyrna (Izmir), my beloved”, for British television. The play, staged at the Foundation of the Hellenic World until March 20^th 2016, deals with Greek refugees fleeing Izmir in 1922. It unfolds through the reminiscence of the lead role, a once-wealthy Greek lady and her family, who eventually lost her father and dear Turk friends during the Great Fire of Izmir in 1922. 

It was more than obvious that the multi-awarded, world-famous actress was deeply touched and moved by the play. Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks from her blue eyes at the time of a short press conference to the journalists after the end of the play. Before that, she had visited the actors backstage to congratulate them one by one. 

The underlying core line of the play is very similar to today’s refugee crisis, giving the audience the opportunity to think of the dramatic consequences of war. It deals with how 1,2 million refugees that fled from Asia Minor to Greece in 1922 through the same routes that refugees fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries follow today, were gradually integrated into Greek mainland, living peacefully, boosting and enriching Greek society with their skills, their hard work, their cuisine, art and music, entrepreneurial initiatives and their overall presence. 

Redgrave, who was present at the play, lauded the excellent example Greek people set today to the world by showing solidarity to refugees arriving on the Aegean islands, given the current economic situation in Greece. More than 850,000 refugees arrived by boat to the Aegean islands in 2015. The refugee influx is not only a Greek issue, but a European one. As former UN high Commissioner, Antonio Guterres had stated during his visit to Athens last October, “this is a European crisis and it needs a European response. There is no way this can be solved on a country by country basis”. 

When asked by UNHCR about those Greeks who are xenophobic of refugees and migrants, Vanessa Redgrave noted: “I would say [to them], nobody wants to leave his house, his country, his relatives. If he does so, it’s because of a serious reason; either war, extreme poverty or any kind of danger. It could happen to all of us. This is the only way to see it. Greeks have been refugees and immigrants and they have survived. The ones who understand must help the ignorant to understand”. 

Along the same lines, Mimi Denissi,  whose  theatrical play  has become particularly topical following the dramatic increase of new arrivals compared to last season, when the play was initially staged, commented that history repeats itself. “We should study it, we should learn from the mistakes of the past, so as not to repeat them. For various reasons, historic tragedies have been untold for long. Today’s refugee crisis resembles that of 1922. If one looks at pictures from Lesvos then and now, similarities are more than obvious. “Smyrna, my beloved” play touches the audience exactly for this: because it does not only refer to the refugees of 1922, but of today, as well”, Denissi added to UNHCR. 

Prior to the play, Vanessa Redgrave visited Ellinikon and Elaionas temporary accommodation sites in the outskirts of Athens, where she had the opportunity to talk with refugees and migrants and be informed in detail by staff on site. She was accompanied by Greek Alternate Minister on Migration Policy, Ioannis Mouzalas, the Mayor of Athens,  Yiorgos Kaminis, and actress Ms. Mimi Denissi.

By Ifigeneia Diamanti

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