Sotiris Moustakas

Sotiris Moustakas, one of the most important comedians of Cyprus and Greece. He was born in 1940 in Limassol and died on the 4th of June 2007 at the age of 67.

This great actor was from Kato Platres and was the youngest child of a big family.

His acting talent was disclosed fro the time he was a student. He took part in the performances the school he went to organized.

His acquaintance with Nicos Stavrides was very important for his career. Moustakas saw Nicos Stavrides performing in Limassol. When the performance ended, Moustakas went to Stavrides and told him he wanted to become an actor. Stavrides told Moustakas to contact him in Athens. 

His school years were affected by EOKA Liberation Struggle 1955-1959. Moustakas joined the struggle against English domination. He used to hand out flyers and wrote signs on the walls. He was arrested and incarcerated. 

He remained in prison for seven months. He described those years saying: “As all students, I was an EOKA member when I was a student. I was arrested so I had to present myself at the police every day. I had already decided to become an actor, but it was extremely difficult so I had a fake passport done and left from Cyprus”.

He graduated from the Trade Academy in Limassol in 1958 and left for Athens with a fake passport. He went to Greece to become an actor and a brilliant career in theater and cinema awaited him.

When he reached Athens and while preparing for the exams to enter the drama school, he was working as a waiter. He did not manage to get accepted the first time he tried, but that did not stop him. He tried again and that is how it all began for him.

This is where he met his future wife, actress Maria Bonelou. They had a daughter, Alexandra, who is also an actress. Sotiris and his daughter worked together for the performance “A mismatched couple”.

He took part in a theatrical play for the first time in the performance “A door five hundred drachmas”. His career in the theatre was brilliant. He mostly took comedian roles in theatrical reviews, aristophanian comedies and classic repertoire, such as plays written by Moliere.

His career in the cinema started in 1964. He took part in “Zorba The Greek”, directed by Michalis Kakoyiannis. He was the crazy person in the village. It must be noted that he was to be “nominated for B’ Mens’ Performance Oscar, but the role was too small and the nomination never took part”.

Sotiris Moustakas was always thinking of Cyprus. The comeback of THOC in Epidavros is owed to Sotiris Moustakas. He also participated in the comedies of Aristophanes “Thesmaforiazouses” and “Irene”.

He was awarded many times. Most important are Kotopouli Prize, the prize of the Playwrights’ Company, and Karolos Koun Prize for “Performance in Greek Play”.

Sources:
Politis Newspaper, Tuesday 5th June 2007
Machi Newspaper, Tuesday 5th June 2007
Simerini Newspaper, Tuesday 5th June 2007
Phileleftheros Newspaper, Tuesday 5th June 2007
Great Cypriot Encyclopedia, Ed. Philokypros

Tornarites Kriton

Kriton Tornarites, a luminous advocate, law book writer and general attorney of Cyprus for many years comes from Kato Platres.

Tornarites studied law at the University of Athens. In 1923, he graduated with excellent scores and became a doctor of law. From 1924 until 1940, he worked as a lawyer in Limassol. He also worked as a member of the district educational committee from 1927 until 1930 and from 1930 until 1940 as a curator of Greek schools in Limassol.

From 1940 until 1042, he served as district attorney in Nicosia, and from 1942 until 1944, as president of the district court in Nicosia. It is worth mentioning that Kriton Tornaritis was the first Cypriot to work as the president of the district court, as it was ruled by the English. During the same time Tornaritis continued his studies in Law in Great Britain, at “Gray’s Inn of London, where he became a Barrister-at law (1946)”.

In the meantime, in 1944, he was appointed general vice-attorney of Cyprus. He served this post until 1952, when he was assigned district attorney. It must be mentioned that during the Liberation Struggle against English domination (1955-1959), he did not practice his occupation, because, as noted in the Biographical lexicon, “he was detached to the Ministry of Colonies as its legal advisor”. During the same time, he also worked “as a member of the committee for the revision of Cyprus Legislation”.

According to the Great Cypriot Encyclopedia, in 1957, Tornaritis was a member of the British mission sent to the exile Archbishop Makarios, “so as to explain the Britih suggestions of Lord Radcliff. Makarios told the English, through Tornaritis and another British member, that he could not discuss anything while being on exile”.

In the Biographical Lexicon of Aristides Koudounaris, it is noted that he “was a friend and coworker of Archbishop Makarios. They met when the latter was still Eparch of Kiti”.

During the time 1959-1960, Tornaritis was one of the legal advisors of the “Constitutive Committee responsible for the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus”.

In 1960, when Cyprus was declared an independent Republic, Tornaritis continued serving his post as general attorney until 1984, “when he retired”.

Kriton Tornaritis “was established internationally as an exquisite lawyer”. He represented Cyprus in international law conferences, international meetings and organizations”.

His writings are considered important. He published books and articles on legal issues. There is also a great numbers of works written in the “Greek and English language”. The fragment following describes his writing course in the Biographical Lexicon:

“He wrote many things, especially on legal issues. He wrote 65 books and 5000 projects. He wrote for Kirix and Aletheia since he first became a lawyer.…An important part of his work is found in Cypriot newspapers and scientific journals”.

Sources:
Aristidis Koudounaris, Biographical Lexicon of Cypriots 1800-1920, Nicoisa, 1991
Great Cypriot Encyclopedia, Ed. Philocypros