premiering at this year’s LA Greek Film Festival on Thursday June 8 at 4pm.
Produced by Greek Reporter, the 26 minute-long documentary follows the life of Greek boxer Vaggelis “Cobra” Chatzis. The Greek professional fighter struggled through a tough upbringing and the physical challenge of only having one arm to pursue a path in the world of boxing. Today, Chatzis is recognized as the only one-armed competing boxer in the world.
Director and producer Anastasios Papapostolou opened up about his inspiration for filming the documentary “The Greek”, saying “I felt it was the most inspiring underdog story I had stumbled upon during my 15 years in journalism.”
Within Vaggelis Chatzis’ journey, the filmmaker saw a wider story playing out in the boxer’s struggles. As he puts it, “In a sense, it includes the daily struggle of the Greeks that are fighting in an uneven playing field – to break down stereotypes that have been following them for years.”
We asked Chatzis what it feels like to see his story premiere as a documentary at a festival, where an American audience will get a revealing glimpse into his life.
He responded, “I’m so happy this is happening. I hope other people will see this story and gain strength from it, to overcome whatever challenges they may be facing.”
Many Greeks worked for over a year to bring this story to life, including screenwriter and editor Konstantinos Mousoulis, director of photography Odysseas Karadis, and music composter Georgios Soumelidis. Anastasios Papapostolou served as a screenwriter in addition to being a director and producer. Vaggelis Chatzis’ major sponsor is EKO.
