The Band — Documentary Screening

Join the Pontic Greek Society of London “Sevasteia” for a special evening of remembrance, history, and testimony in commemoration of Pontic Greek Genocide Remembrance Day (19th May).

We are honoured to welcome award-winning journalist and author Nikos Aslanidis for the London presentation of his acclaimed documentary The Band and his book Witnesses… 100 Years Later.

The evening will begin with a presentation of Witnesses… 100 Years Later, a collection of testimonies from first-generation refugees and their descendants. Many of these testimonies recount the “white death” marches and the forced labour battalions, offering audiences a broader historical understanding of how the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks unfolded.

The Band is based on the true story of Giannis Papadopoulos from Kerasounta (Giresun), a musician and member of the city’s philharmonic orchestra, who was forcibly conscripted by the notorious Topal Osman during the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks.

The orchestra consisted of 13 Greek musicians and three Turkish musicians. They were forced to accompany Topal Osman on his campaigns and play Turkish military marches while armed gangs massacred, looted, and terrorised Greek communities across the region.

In the end, Topal Osman ordered the execution of the entire orchestra. Giannis Papadopoulos was the only survivor. Although he eventually escaped to Greece, he never played music again.

Over a two-year period, filming took place with the children and grandchildren of Giannis Papadopoulos, as well as with descendants of victims of Topal Osman. The production combines dramatised scenes, historical testimony, and documentary interviews, featuring approximately 80 actors and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Giannitsa (Greece).

The documentary was supervised by historians Konstantinos Fotiadis, Theodosios Kyriakidis, and Lazaros Vasileiadis, and received two awards at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.

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Host or Publisher Sevasteia London