Experiencing Interruptions?

Memories and songs

In order to approach the tradition of an ethnic group
of Thessaloniki -minor nowadays,
it is presented the Jewish Community Choir of Thessaloniki.
In search of the history of a language -Judeo-Spanish- which is
underused nowadays and survives mainly through songs;
the same songs that used to fill the alleys of the city.
“ Memories and songs” is actually a documentary
about the history and culture of Mediterranean.

  • Stela Papastefanou
    Director
  • Stela Papastefanou
    Writer
  • Stela Papastefanou
    Producer
  • Panagiotis Kountouras
    Cinematography
  • Giorgos Koutsaliaris
    Cinematography
  • Sofia Melissopoulou
    Cinematography
  • Maria Papadopoulou
    Cinematography
  • Stela Papastefanou
    Cinematography
  • Eviroula Dourou
    Sound
  • Alexandra Pagrati
    Sound
  • Stela Papastefanou
    Editing
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Με αναμνήσεις και τραγούδια
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    History, Music, Culture
  • Runtime:
    40 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 11, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Greece
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece
  • Language:
    English, Modern Greek (1453-), Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    HDV
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 17th Thessaloniki Documetary Festival
    Thessaloniki
    March 16, 2015
  • 9th Greek Documentary Festival Docfest
    Chalkida
    Greece
    October 15, 2015
  • 4th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    December 3, 2015
  • 2nd Viva Film Festival
    Sarajevo
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    June 3, 2016
    Special Award of Festival Directorate for The Best Original Music at
  • 3rd International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra
    Ierapetra
    Greece
    August 9, 2016
    Special Mention Award at3rd International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra
  • Mediterranean Film Festival

    Italy
    August Winner at Mediterranean Film Festival
  • 10th Jahorina Film Festival
    Jahorina
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean Area
    Athens
    Greece
Director Biography - Stela Papastefanou

Stela Papastefanou was born in Thessaloniki. She has studied architecture and film in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Since 2006 she has participated many video and film festival like Ecofims Rodos International Film and Visual Arts Festival, Athens Videoart Festival, Platforma, Greek Documentary Festival Docfest, One Minute, International Film & Video Festival-Aarau- Switzerland,Greek Short Film Festival in Drama, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My initial purpose when I started the research in order to make the film was not to make another film about the Holocaust. But through the whole process I realized that is difficult not to refer to it at all.
I believe that the history of Jewish people all over the world and especially the history of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki do not starts and ends in the Holocaust.
Although today live in Thessaloniki only about 1000 Jewish that are Greek citizens (all the population of the city of Thessaloniki is 1.000.000) and just before the World War 2 they represented the 1/3 of the population, their presence is not only reminding all the unspeakable consequences of a war -and more precisely of the 2nd World War-but can be seen as a sign of a constant struggle for life and existence in a positive way. Their extroversion through the creation of the Choir is a positive way of expressing and this is the reason –besides my personal interest, since I have a Jewish origin- that made me complete and present this film. A film which after all is something more than a Jewish story; it’ s about the history and culture of Mediterranean.