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 PapastefanouDirector
-
Stela PapastefanouWriter
-
Stela PapastefanouProducer
-
Panagiotis KountourasCinematography
-
Giorgos KoutsaliarisCinematography
-
Sofia MelissopoulouCinematography
-
Maria PapadopoulouCinematography
-
Stela PapastefanouCinematography
-
Eviroula DourouSound
-
Alexandra PagratiSound
-
Stela PapastefanouEditing
-
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 FestivalThessaloniki
March 16, 2015 -
9th Greek Documentary Festival DocfestChalkida
Greece
October 15, 2015 -
4th Mumbai Shorts International Film FestivalMumbai
India
December 3, 2015 -
2nd Viva Film FestivalSarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
June 3, 2016
Special Award of Festival Directorate for The Best Original Music at -
3rd International Documentary Festival of IerapetraIerapetra
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 FestivalJahorina
Bosnia and Herzegovina -
International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean AreaAthens
Greece
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.
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.