by Dimitra Galonaki
Almost fifty years have passed by since Nikos Kazantzakis’ death and he is still being persecuted
Cleopatra Prifti was born in America. Her mother was from Chania and her father from Ierapetra. They came back to Crete, to Chania where they transferred their property.
She had her basic training in Chania (Primary School and French School) and then when the family moved to Athens she attended Law School, piano lessons at the Music School, Theory and Melodrama as well as Decorative Arts. She is the author of 33 books and many studies on Nikos Kazantzakis. She is an honorary member of the Board of Directors of the Museum Nikos Kazantzakis and the President of the Greek Section of Kazantzakis’ Friends.
“For me Nikos Kazantzakis has been since my early years, “MY TEACHER”, a Cretan a real Cretan. I loved him. I regard a great gift for me that I got to know him and till the end of his life I used to write to him and this love continued for Eleni, the insuperable companion of this Giant of spirit and humanity”. With the above words from her book “The inspired by God and persecuted Kazantzakis”, the author Cleopatra Prifti commenced the interview she gave to “In-On” magazine, after the honorable ceremony concerning the closure of the International Convention about the work of Nikos Kazantzakis, in which she was distinguished as an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors of the Museum Nikos Kazantzakis.
I first met Nikos Kazantzakis during the first grades of Primary School through the pages of “Anagnostiko-Course-book”, reading his literal work – she clarified – and in my eyes he was a Giant. She also continued “I was lucky to see Nikos in person when I attended Law School. He helped me stay here rather than move to America. The contact was made through Giannis Kalitsounakis the professor of the department. I was born in America and I have an American citizenship. During the Second World War, the American government used to pay the expenses to its citizens in order to return to America. However, I did not want to leave and then my professor fixed an appointment at Kazantzakis’ house (in 1946 he was a minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) because they were friendly related.
I remember it as if it was now. It was noon and I reached Mavromateon St. in Athens at Kazantzakis’ residence. I rang the doorbell and a man of medium height opened the door. However, as I suddenly saw him in my own eyes I was given the impression that he was two meters tall. I could not believe that the writer I used to read since Primary School was just standing in front of me. He welcomed me and offered me a seat. He asked about my problem. I explained that I was an American citizen but I do not want to go to America because I had developed a bond with my family here and there would be no one for me in America. What would a young girl like me do in an unknown country? He calmed me down and reassured me that everything would settle. I was frightened at first but as time passed by I gained my courage and started telling him my plans. Some time when I realized that my stay was extended, I thanked him and was ready to leave when I heard a voice …halt, I turned back and I saw him standing on a chair to pick a packet of sweets to offer me because he realized as a hospitable Cretan that I was about to leave without being offered a sweet. After being treated I departed. Suddenly the world had changed for me, Athens was very beautiful and everyone was beautiful, too. It was a very important day for me.
We used to see each other several times in the street and talked while we used to correspond when he left Greece. There was a time when I stopped reading his work because I started to realize that I was losing my personality. Then I got married to a very interesting man Mr. Faedonas Priftis, a dentist and a qualified musician.
When we heard Kazantzakis’ death and that his body was in the 1st Cemetery in Athens my husband and I got ready to submit our last respects (10am November 1957). His body was in the morgue and we were only 30 people present, among them Katina Paxinou and Manos Katrakis while next to the coffin Max Taou from Scandinavia (writer and translator of Nikos Kazantzakis’ works) was standing motionless as a sign of courtesy. After the two hour’s service, Aristotle Onassis sent two buses to take us to the airport along with the corpse so as Kazantzakis was buried in Herakleion, Crete. When we reached Herakleion a large number of people were waiting to escort the “Giant” to his last residence. Nikos Kazantzakis’ funeral was attended by thousands of Cretans, men and women compared to the service in Athens where the two buses of 50 people each were not completely full. The service was realized by metropolitan bishop Eugenios in Saint. Minas in Herakleion. Actually, when we started to escort Kazantzakis’ body, a distinguished student was in front holding the book of Odyssey and all around there were students from the Teachers’ Training College having Kazantzakis’ books in their hands. Then the rest of us followed. The funeral was attended by Georgios Papandreou, Kostas Mitsotakis and the minister of Education and Religion Mr. Gerokostopoulos”.
I have written – she stressed – 33 books (novels, theatrical plays etc.) and three theatrical plays of mine have been put on: in “VERGI” Theater in Athens “The house with the green windows”, in Thessaloniki “The story of Cyprus” and in Athens “The battle of Crete”.
I have published –she said– five studies on Nikos Kazantzakis, while when the Kazantzakis’ Museum started to become known which Anemogiannis set off, my husband and I agreed to help this endeavor. When Anemogiannis got seriously ill, I substituted him in the Museum. The heavy load, though, was on Mayor’s Roussos Kipriotakis’ arms. Today the museum is given a fresh impetus, it is modern and can fully exploit Nikos Kazantzakis’ heritage, which is not complete to its biggest part and it is our duty to bring all Kazantzakis’ works to his modern home.