Vassilis Rizvas: My Parents Lived a Nightmare That Left a Deep Mark on Me

The renowned screenwriter Vassilis Rizvas opens up about his childhood and the political persecutions his parents endured. “I remember the fear inside our home, the constant threats of intimidation,” he vividly recalls in an interview with the newspaper ‘On Time.’ Speaking about his collaboration with Sotiris Tsafoulias, Rizvas delves into the hardships he faced as a child growing up in Kokkinia, a working-class neighborhood. Born into a family of refugees from Asia Minor, Rizvas shares harrowing memories of his father being forced into exile and the relentless pressure placed on his mother to sign declarations of repentance. Despite the struggles, his parents worked tirelessly to provide for their children, with his father, a builder, slowly improving their modest home and his mother, a seamstress, laboring endlessly at her sewing machine. These experiences have left an indelible mark on Rizvas, shaping his identity and worldview.