Attila ’74 by Michael Cacoyannis at MoMA New York
Two special screenings on January 30 and February 1, 2026
The first screening will be introduced by historian and author Mark Mazower
We are honored to inform you that the world premiere of the fully restored copy of the documentary Attila ’74: The Rape of Cyprus, written, directed, and produced by Michael Cacoyannis, will take place—50 years after its original release—at MoMA New York, the largest museum of modern art in the world.
In today’s (December 11, 2025) announcement of the program for the 22nd To Save and Project: The MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation, it is stated that the screenings of the documentary will take place on Friday, January 30, and Sunday, February 1st 2026. The first screening will be introduced by the internationally renowned and distinguished historian and author Mark Mazower (The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe), who has also written the introduction to the film in the festival’s official program on MoMa.org.
The annual film festival dedicated to the preservation and restoration of cinema, To Save and Project: The MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation, has been showcasing restored cinematic treasures since 2003, featuring works by great filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Valerio Zurlini, and Yasujiro Ozu. The Museum of Modern Art in New York has chosen to present Attila ’74, Michael Cacoyannis’s documentary that is perhaps the only living record of the tragedy in Cyprus, highlighting themes of global collective memory with significant and timely political implications today. The complete restoration of the documentary and its transfer to DCP format was made possible with the support of Faliro House Productions and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos.
A defining figure in global cultural history, Michael Cacoyannis is the director who brought ancient Greek tragedy back into the spotlight through a popular medium such as cinema. His Electra, which in addition to its Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film has received hundreds of distinctions at international festivals worldwide, is still hailed as an unparalleled cinematic adaptation of ancient tragedy. A few years later, the iconic Zorba the Greek, seen by millions of viewers around the globe, boosted tourism in Greece and became an enduring image and sound of the country abroad.
A decade later, Attila ’74 was filmed on the island during the two Turkish invasions and the subsequent occupation of its northern part. It presents rare footage of the bombings, as well as interviews with key figures that played a pivotal role in the events—such as Archbishop Makarios and Nikos Sampson—alongside everyday Cypriots who became victims of the unfolding tragedy.
We believe that this screening is of exceptional significance for Cyprus and Greece, as well as for the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation and its illustrious founder, who was among the few Greek Cypriot artists with such international recognition.
More information about the Festival can be found here.
