And on the occasion of the premiere of the Kapodistrias film, I am writing this article. I begin from Greece today — with all its beauty, contradictions, longing, and quiet resilience. A Greece searching for its own reflection. A Greece that remembers more than it openly speaks.
To understand this Greece, we must walk backward. Not into nostalgia, but to the origin — to the moment when the idea of a nation first took its fragile shape: modern Greece, shaped by the vision and ethos of Kapodistrias. The first Governor of independent Greece, Kapodistrias faced challenges that tested not only his leadership but the very moral foundation of the nation. His story is more than history; it is a mirror that reflects what Greece has become and what it still aspires to be.
The premiere of the Kapodistrias film invites us to revisit these questions: How do we lead with integrity? How do we serve the nation above personal gain? How do we protect the values that define us? In exploring the life and legacy of Kapodistrias, we also explore ourselves — our Greece today, the Greece we remember, and the Greece we hope to shape for tomorrow.
And there, at that beginning, stands Kapodistrias – a pivotal figure in the political history of not only Greece, but also of all of Europe.
So here, I will not speak of travel, food, or experiences. Instead, I trace the path in reverse: from the Greece we question and navigate today, back to the Greece he sought to build. Because we cannot understand who we are without understanding the man who tried to weave this country together with dignity, courage, and unshakable hope.
December 25th, 2025
On this date, the lights will dim, and Greece will hold its breath. Kapodistrias will walk onto the screen — not as a distant figure from dusty textbooks, but as a reminder of who we once dared to be.
A man of integrity in an age of turbulence.
A statesman who built with bare hands what others shattered with words.
A Greek whose love for the patrida was not a slogan, but a wound he carried in his chest.
And as the movie unfolds, another truth emerges — not about his time, but about ours.
Today’s Greece stands at a crossroads of comfort and chaos,
pride and fatigue, brilliance and confusion.
And inside every honest heart, a quiet question rises:
What would Kapodistrias say about the Greece of today? And do we still carry his flame — or only his name?
Giannis Smaragdis
- Director and Academician in Europe
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a presentation at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria, New York, surrounded by Greeks of the diaspora — people who, like me, carry Greece in their hearts even when oceans separate us from our homeland. We had gathered to listen to Giannis Smaragdis, the visionary creator of the new Kapodistrias film.
He did not speak like a director promoting a movie.
He spoke like a man on a mission.
With a voice full of emotion and eyes that still burn with purpose, he shared the hardships, the obstacles, the resistance he faced trying to bring this story to life — and the few hands that reached out to help him carry the burden. But what became clear that night was something far deeper:
This film is not simply a biographical retelling of Kapodistrias’ life. It is a vision — a spiritual and patriotic calling. It aims to awaken. It’s a message wrapped in cinema.
Smaragdis did not create a movie. He created a mirror. A mirror meant to stir what modern life tries to silence: the quiet flame of love for the patrida. A flame that may have dimmed in some, but still sleeps in every Greek heart.
Not everyone will feel it in the same way — but in each viewer, at least one spark will reignite – — a memory of who we once were, and who we are still capable of becoming. It’s a reminder of patrida, of identity, of the Greece that survives within us even when the Greece we see around us seems tired or wounded.
As I listened to him speak, something inside me stirred. This wasn’t only about history, nor solely about Kapodistrias — it was about us. About the Greece of today, the Greece we lost, the Greece we long for, and the Greece the diaspora still protects like a fragile flame. It was about the values that have faded, the values we still carry, the values that beg to be reborn — the challenges we shoulder, and the love the diaspora continues to safeguard across the world.
What moved me most about Smaragdis was the quiet power of his simplicity — in his words, his stance, his gaze — yet every gesture and phrase seemed to carry the weight of centuries. He spoke of Kapodistrias not as a figure frozen in history, but as a living, breathing human whose soul could only be felt, not dissected. “To understand him,” he said, “you must rise to a higher plane, attune yourself to a subtler frequency, and open your heart completely. Only then will you sense the courage, the devotion, and the profound humanity that defined him.” In that moment, it felt as if Kapodistrias was not a man of the past, but a presence whispering across time, inviting each of us to awaken to the values that shaped him and, through him, the soul of Greece.
During the Q&A at the end, someone from the audience asked Smaragdis: “What can we do about it? Can we make a difference?”
He replied:
“What can you do? Every morning when you wake up, say thank you and feel blessed for the gift of life. Do at least one good deed each day. Greet those who have hurt you, even if it pains you. Smile at your neighbor. Help wherever you can, in any way you can. This is how we become better humans, and eventually, we will create a better world.”
He also shared that after its cinema release, the film will be freely available to universities, schools, cultural centers, and organizations worldwide — from elementary schools to universities — so anyone who wishes to watch it can do so.
And that’s the beauty of Smaragdis’ message and Kapodistrias’ ethos: it transcends nationality. While Kapodistrias is a Greek hero, the values he embodied — integrity, humility, devotion, service, and ethical leadership — are universal principles that could guide all humanity.
If everyone, not just Greeks, practiced even a fraction of that ethos, the world would indeed be a better, more compassionate, and just place. That’s why Smaragdis’ Q&A advice — doing at least one good deed daily, greeting those who hurt you, helping others — resonates with all humans, not just Greeks.
- Kapodistrias’ life and principles inspire Greeks, but also offer a timeless lesson for humanity.
- Kapodistrias’ ethos is a model for leadership, citizenship, and daily life, no matter where you come from.
- Smaragdis’ film can awaken a universal reflection on values and ethics, while still celebrating Greece.
And so, inspired by that night in Astoria, and from the quiet, enduring love that every Greek in that room carried, I felt compelled to write this reflection — not as a critic, nor as a historian, but as a Greek who carries her homeland in her heart every day. This film is a call to all Greeks — children, citizens, and leaders alike — to remember the values, live the ethos, and let love for Greece guide the generations to come.
The film had its world premiere in New York in November 2025. It has sparked significant concern, as it may lead viewers to draw associative comparisons between Kapodistrias and current political leaders.
Kapodistrias: The Return of a Vision
The premiere of the Kapodistrias film on December 25th in Greece is far more than a cinematic release. It feels like a collective invitation — a call to memory and responsibility.
For decades, Kapodistrias existed quietly in textbooks,
flattened into bullet points,
distanced from our lives,
reduced to a paragraph memorized by students who never truly understood the magnitude of his sacrifice.
But cinema breathes life into memory. It resurrects the heartbeat behind the history.
Through this film, Kapodistrias is no longer a distant figure. He is a presence, a conscience, a reminder of the Greece we once struggled to become.
Kapodistrias: A Life of Ethos and Sacrifice
Kapodistrias was not a mythic hero. He was a moral giant. A man who lived abroad, honored abroad, succeeded abroad — yet every triumph whispered the same truth: “Greece is calling.”
He rejected wealth. He turned down titles. He walked away from comfort and prestige. He sacrificed his personal life. He chose duty over privilege, service over applause, sacrifice over safety.
His ethos rested on three pillars:
Integrity
He stood unwavering even when his stance isolated him.
Humility
He lived simply, almost ascetically, despite holding the highest office.
Devotion
His life belonged entirely to Greece despite the dangers —a Greece that was divided, wounded, and struggling to rise.
His leadership was not political. It was spiritual. And this is why he feels both close and unbearably absent today.
The Greece He Found — A Greece Not Unlike Today
When Kapodistrias arrived in newly liberated Greece, what he found was heartache:
- chaos
- villages destroyed
- factions fighting
- foreign powers influencing every decision
- poverty everywhere
- mistrust woven into every community
It was a Greece reborn but fragile, ready for freedom but unprepared for unity. And yet, Kapodistrias did not despair.
He planted seeds:
- schools
- institutions
- agriculture
- diplomacy
- currency
- national identity
He built these not for applause, but for posterity.
And as painful as it is to admit, today’s Greece and many other countries share reflections of that same fragmentation:
- political turbulence and instability
- institutional mistrust
- social exhaustion
- internal divisions
- foreign dependencies
- moral fatigue
In Kapodistrias’ time, Greece struggled to emerge. Today, she struggles to evolve.
The challenges differ, but the wounds feel familiar.
The New Greek Mindset: Fast, Fragmented, and Forgetful
Modern Greeks are extraordinary — creative, resilient, passionate, brilliant. But we are also children of a fast era, disoriented by speed and overwhelmed by noise.
We live in a world where:
- reaction replaces reflection
- Speed instead of patience
- noise replaces clarity
- division replaces dialogue
- pride replaces responsibility
We are connected more than ever, yet unity feels harder than ever. We have opinions before facts, anger before understanding, frustration before patience. We are a nation of fire — but fire without direction burns instead of illuminating.
This is where the absence of Kapodistrias feels most deeply: not in politics, but in spirit.
Greece’s Greatest Need Today: Leadership with Ethos
Today, however, a difficult truth lingers… and so do the questions:
- Who leads with love today?
- Who puts the nation above personal gain?
- Who listens before speaking?
What it lacks — painfully, obviously — is moral authority.
A leader who:
- listens before speaking
- unites instead of divides
- sacrifices instead of benefits
- serves instead of performs
- loves the country more than the position
Kapodistrias governed like a father, not like a celebrity. Like a servant, not like a master. He understood leadership not as power, but as an offering.
If he walked through Athens today, what would he see? Would he recognize his Greece? Would he recognize us? What would unpleasantly surprise Kapodistrias if he came to Greece today, Mr. Kontogiorgis – professor of Political Science and former rector of Panteion University – replied, the disgrace of the state, which is corrupt and at the same time corrupts society.
These are questions this film forces us to ask — questions we needed for a long time.
The Diaspora: The Silent Guardians of the Greek Soul
Listening to Smaragdis in Astoria, surrounded by Greeks who left Greece but never abandoned her, I felt a truth – Kapodistrias knew himself that:
The diaspora carries Greece in ways Greece sometimes forgets to carry herself.
Greeks abroad preserve:
- culture
- language
- generosity
- pride
- history
- community
They succeed in foreign lands, yet speak of Greece with longing, not bitterness. They pass traditions to children who may never live in Greece, yet love her just as deeply.
Kapodistrias himself was a son of the diaspora. He chose to return, to build, to heal, to sacrifice. The diaspora’s flame is no accident. It is inheritance, it is the heart of Greece that beats loudest outside its borders. And perhaps, it is Greece’s greatest untold strength.
The Film as a Mirror for Our Time
The movie is more than cinema; it’s a wake-up call. Kapodistrias’ life invites us to reflect on our collective identity. His values are not outdated — they are urgently needed.
- What happened to our collective ethos?
- What kind of Greece are we leaving to the next generation?
- What does patriotism mean today?
- Are we citizens or spectators?
- Do we want a better Greece — or just a louder one?
A Call to the Modern Greek
Greece does not need another Kapodistrias.
Waiting for a savior is how nations fall asleep.
What Greece needs today is something more powerful – Greece needs:
- Greeks who act with ethos.
- Greeks who choose unity over ego.
- Greeks who remember that patrida is a responsibility, not a sentiment.
- Greeks whose daily lives — not their words — honor the country they love.
- Greeks who have rights as citizens but they also understand that they also have duties
Each Greek can revive ethics and responsibility.
Change does not start with governments — but with individuals.
The legacy of Kapodistrias is not distant; it lives in every honest act.
If we each carry one piece of what Kapodistrias embodied, then Greece does not need one savior. She has millions. And perhaps that is the deeper message hidden inside this film — the message Smaragdis spent a lifetime trying to deliver:
“Greece does not need another Kapodistrias to save her.
She needs Greeks who remember why he mattered.”
Suggested Readings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannis_Kapodistrias
What Was Ioannis Kapodistrias Vision For Greek Society? – TalkingSoutheastEurope
“Legacy of a Great International Statesman – Ioannis Kapodistrias, on his Anniversary “ Discussion
About the Author
Born in Greece, she moved to New York in 1987 to pursue her studies. What began as an academic journey became a lifelong connection — she built her career, her family, and her life in New York. She is a writer, creator, and entrepreneur with roots in Naxos and life experience in New York. Today, she divides her time between Greece and New York, bringing a global perspective, deep cultural roots, and a strong commitment to hospitality, storytelling, and community. She designs spaces and narratives that honor Greek culture, values, and human connection, and brings empathy, vision, and a strong sense of purpose to every project she undertakes. She is skilled in communication, writing, guest experience, and creative direction.
