Gouves Township Mayor Yiorgos Nikolakakis has asked the town council for approval to further investigate the possibility of bringing a popular Charlie Chaplin exhibit to the Gournes Exhibition Center.

The exhibit would be on display for three months, July to September, through a program in association with the Charlie Chaplin Foundation in Geneva, which will stage the exhibition.

The mayor said the demos will profit from ticket sales (five euros per person) and merchandising sales, and would make a profit over and above the expenses, which he figured to be about 100.000 euros.  

Councilman Nikos Horafakis opposed the project, by stating: “I do not think that 100.000 should be spent on a ‘maybe profit’.”

However, the mayor pointed out that this will be the first time this exhibit has come to Greece – it will go to Athens following the Crete showing.

“Our demos will be extensively promoted and publicized through the media,” he said. “Many local residents, and certainly a plethora of tourists, are interested in Charlie Chaplin and will pay ticket price and buy merchandise.  The demos will realize a good profit monetarily and publicity wise.”

He added that, after talks with the Iraklion Governor Schinaraki , he is confident he can get the exhibition center to donate the room for the three months.

“I believe that about 40.000 will visit the exhibit at five euros a head,” he predicted, “and many will purchase merchandize like DVDs, photos, T-shirts etc.”

The town council voted its approval for the mayor to proceed with the exploration of his project.