KaplaniKid Productions
What's in a Name?
KaplaniKid Productions, founded in 2001 to celebrate the Greek Spirit in film, is now a multimedia storytelling platform celebrating the universe of the Greek Spirit in both the English and Greek language via film, stage plays, fictional and non-fiction literature, poetry, the spoken word and music, based on the belief that:
…one thought…one word…one story…one voice…and the universe is changed
…μια σκέψη…μια λέξη…μια ιστορία…μια φωνή…και το σύμπαν αλλάζει
The company name pays homage to the legendary bravery of the brothers Gliarmis, Nicholas and Gerasimos, of Samos, Greece, who fought and killed the dreaded wild leopard called the ‘kaplani’ which was terrorizing the village folks and their flocks on the beautiful peaceful Greek island in the late 1870’s.
Dr. Jenna Maria (ΜαρίαΚαλλιόπη) Constantine, Founder of KaplaniKid Productions, an Award-winning Director, filmmaker, author, playwright and composer, and her children, are direct descendants of Gerasimos and Nicholas Gliarmis through her grandfather, Κωνσταντίνος Δημήτριος Γλιαρμής (Konstantinos Demetrios Gliarmis), born 18 April 1888 in the mountain village of Μαυρατζαίοι (Mavratzei), which is nestled below Mount Ambelos on the island of Σάμος, Samos, Greece.
The exciting story of the Gliarmis heroes and the «καπλάνι» they killed to save the island and its inhabitants can be seen and read about in several languages when one visits the «Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας Αιγαίου ΠΑΛΑΙΟΝΤΟΛΟΓΙΚΟ ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΙΩΝ ΣΑΜΟΥ» …The Natural History Museum of the Aegean ~ Paleontological Museum Mitilini, Samos, Greece (nhma.gr).
Pictured below are Evyenia Alexia (Ευγενία Αλέξια), Alexander Konstantinos (Αλέξανδρος Κωνσταντίνος) and Dr. Jenna Maria (ΜαρίαΚαλλιόπη) Constantine, direct descendents of Nicholas and Gerasimos Gliarmis through their mother’s beloved grandfather, (Κωνσταντίνος Δημήτριος Γλιαρμής) Konstantinos Demetrios Gliarmis, as they study and stare at the «καπλάνι» in the museum in Mitilini, Samos, Greece.
Master Sergeant Demetra J. Constantine, USAF, Ret. (Δήμητρα Ιωσηφίνα) was serving her country in Iraq at the time these photographs were taken.
Memory is the mother of all wisdom ~ Aeschylus, 5th century BC
Memory is the mother of all wisdom ~ Aeschylus, 5th century BC
Once upon a long time ago…a handsome young fearless Greek man…full of love for life…left his birthplace…the island of Samos…on a ship bound for New York City and the bright lights of Broadway.
His name was Konstantinos Demetrios Gliarmis…my beloved Grandfather.
For a short time he and his brothers, some cousins and friends worked at a coffee shop at the corner of 6th and 12th Avenue in New York City…and by night he was fulfilling a lifelong dream as an off-Broadway singer. He had a mesmerizing voice and a powerful presence.
Everybody loved him, including a certain young woman from Samos. A few years passed and then he, his beloved mother, his new wife, and the whole Gliarmis family moved to a small town in North Carolina called Wilson.
Acclaimed as The City of Beautiful Trees and The World’s Largest Tobacco Market
He opened a restaurant called THE STAR CAFE. It was a very special place. His friendly face, his welcoming spirit, delicious food, great service, great music…the word got around. It didn’t take long for it to become a success. Then one day, six months after she was born, his granddaughter came to live with him. They became the joy of each other’s lives.
One night he got a telephone phone call. Someone warned him that there was a group planning to set the Star Cafe on fire. He told his granddaughter not to worry. He’d take care of it and he’d be back. When he came back home his clothes were all torn up. His shoes were ruined. His face and his hands had soot all over them. His granddaughter asked him if he was afraid of the bad men.
On that night in 1951 he told his granddaughter the whole story about her relatives in Samos, the Gliarmis brothers, who had killed the kaplani to save the island from more destruction and devastation…and then, even though his pants were all dirty and torn, he picked her up and sat her in his lap and said,
«…εμείς που σκοτώσαμε το καπλάνι …δεν φοβόμαστε… »
(“…we who killed the kaplani…we are not afraid’…”)
Years later, inspired by the love, life and spirit of her beloved Grandfather, his granddaughter founded KaplaniKid Productions to celebrate the
Greek Spirit in film and tell stories about courage, bravery, sacrifice and social justice.
Without Konstantinos Demetrios Gliarmis and his love for what is good and and what is right, there would be no KaplaniKid Productions.
His words resonate today.
«…όταν μεγαλώσεις…απορρίψετε τις διακρίσεις…και μην γυρνάς την πλάτη σου στην αδικία…και μην ξεχνάτε ποτέ ότι…η ψυχή δεν έχει χρώμα…»
(“…when you grow up…reject discrimination…don’t turn your back on injustice…and never forget…the soul doesn’t have a color…”)
“While you live, shine, have no grief at all, life exists only for a short while and Time demands his due” ~ The Seikilos Epitaph
Ὅσον ζῇς φαίνου μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν τὸ τέλος ὁ χρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ”~ O Επιτάφιος του Σείκιλου
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: No use or reprint of this story, in any form, without the written permission of its author, Dr. Jenna Maria Constantine
More coming soon...
More coming soon...
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