The documentary, which participates in the 25th Thessaloniki Festival, presents the continuation of the traditions of another era, which survive in Maui
A man goes to the rocks at the edge of his island and collects salt. His donkey is waiting for him at the end of the road. A woman tends to her chickens and turkeys in her backyard coop, while a few houses away, someone else feeds his cows. At the same time, a young man directs his sheep to the green pastures of the area. These are images that one would hardly associate with the cosmopolitan island of entertainment, Mykonos. And yet… Eliana Abravanel’s documentary “Mykonian Pastoral”, which participates in the 25th Thessaloniki Festival, presents the continuation of the traditions of another era, who survive in Mau, the only rural area left on perhaps the most popular island of the Cyclades.
“I think that maybe this film will remain to show a way of life that is slowly disappearing, because it is the recording of a side of Mykonos that I hope will not be lost, but it is a bit difficult”, says Ms. Abravanel in Athenian/Macedonian News agency.
She herself, although she was not born on the island, describes herself as a “Mykonian by choice”, since it is a place she chose to live, from the first time she visited it, during her teenage years. “I started spending my summers on the island in the late 80s. Forty years later, I continue to discover something new every time”, points out the director, who gradually spent more and more time there, as a result of which she acquired a house in the area of ​​Ano Mera, the only village that exists – apart from the country of Mykonos.
What she has gained from living there, she cannot describe, but as she emphasizes, she considered it her duty to create this film, so that in a way, she could give back a part of what she gets.
“There is an image of Mykonos, as it is constantly projected by the media, as the island of entertainment with too many tourists and an island that is slowly being destroyed. This is the superficial look, however, which mainly concerns the summer, because otherwise, there is a microcosm of people, who try – isolated and by choice, I would say, to maintain a rhythm and a calm beyond this madness that happens in island”, he explains.
Eliana Abravanel sympathizes with these people in recent years and has developed very strong bonds of friendship with them. She presents her own perspective to us through “Mykonian Pastoral”. “These people trusted me because they are my friends, they are the people I spend a lot of time with, whom I see every day when I go out to walk, run, do my shopping, but also on winter evenings. They are the people with whom I have spent a lot of time, we have exchanged opinions, we have laughed, we have cried together and they are the ones who supported me even during the difficult periods of my life”, he says.
Dimitrakis, Yiannis, Tzortzis, Zambeta, Lisa therefore become her protagonists and the people that Eliana Abravanel observes through her documentary. “It’s just my way of looking at things. The eyes of someone who was not born in Mykonos, but was drawn to a side of the island that at the moment may not be of interest to a businessman, a tourist who comes purely for fun”, he notes.
The documentary Mykonian Pastoral is part of the Open Horizons section and will be screened tomorrow (Saturday 4th March) at 22:00 in the John Cassavetes Hall, Warehouse 1 of the port. From 10 am the next day it will be available on the Festival’s online platform, until its end or the exhaustion of 500 viewings.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
