4th Evia Film Project: Debate “Filming the Greek Summer”

The 4th edition of Evia Film Project organized on Friday, June 20 an interesting debate during the whole day, which took place in the town of Limni. The day was dedicated to exploring the cinematic universe of the Greek summer. The meeting, entitled ‘Filming the Greek Summer: Light and Myths, Stereotypes and Challenges’, addressed issues such as sustainability, tourism, the construction and deconstruction of the stereotypes that have shaped the Greek summer, and the conditions that make filming during the summer quite a demanding task.

First, Konstantinos Kartalis, Professor of Environmental and Climatic Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, member of the EU Scientific Committee on Climate Change, focused on describing the effects of climate change on the Greek summer, how it has transformed over the last 30 years and how it is expected to evolve in the future. What does this change mean for the landscape, the natural resources, the people, social life and the use of common space, the carefree atmosphere and local tradition? Will the islands resist? How can we protect them? How will life in the cities be organised?

Sofia Exarchou.

Afterwards, filmmakers Sofia Exarchou (Animal), Argyris Papadimitropoulos (Suntan) and cinematographer Simos Sarketzis took part in a discussion moderated by film critic Christos Mitsis of Athinorama magazine. The filmmakers will share their experiences of summer shooting in Greece: How can Greek light be filmed, how can the authenticity of local life and landscape be effectively captured, how demanding are production conditions during the summer?

The discussion concluded with a presentation entitled ‘The Earth as Skylight, the Gaze as Bond’ by the poet Yannis Antiochos, who explored the relationship between the gaze and the light of the Greek summer, inscribed in memory and landscape. How can light, harsh and relentless, both restrict and free our vision? When does the earth become a skylight and when does our gaze bind us to the miracle we witness? This presentation attempts a poetic analysis of the experience of Greek summer light.