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The Journey of Askavlos

"The Journey of Askavlos" is a wonderful musical journey that follows the ancient Greek bagpipe, from the stone-built villages, where the roots of the instrument lie, to the concrete jungles of modern cities. This journey brings together authentic practitioners of an ancient tradition, as well as young musicians who are discovering it in its moment of decline. Together, they bring it into the present, revive it and keep it alive.
The revival brings back something almost lost, the customs and ethos of a people of another era and an oral tradition that was once a way of life. The archaic bagpipe is now being assimilated by the contemporary music scene and fused with modern sounds, beyond the realm of traditional festivals, thus acquiring a young audience and enjoying great appeal throughout Greece and the world.

  • Yorgos Arvanitis
    Director
  • Yorgos Arvanitis
    Writer
  • Yorgos Arvanitis
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Το ταξίδι του άσκαυλου
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 28 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 13, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    60,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Greece
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece
  • Language:
    Modern Greek (1453-)
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital High Definition
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Yorgos Arvanitis

Biography

Yorgos Arvanitis was born in 1978. After studying Business Administration in Larissa, he attended seminars by Wim Wenders and Fatih Akin at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg. He gained valuable experience during his internship in directing alongside Fatih Akin in the film "Head On". He has worked on short films as an assistant director and has written, directed and produced short films and short documentaries. "The Journey of Askavlos " is his first feature film. This independent production took ten years to complete and is entirely self-financed.

Filmography (selection)

2004 “Head On, Behind the Scenes," Making Of, 32’, Director, Camera Operator
2009 “Polit-talk,” Short Fiction, 7’, Director, Film Editor
2010 “Gestern Nacht,” Short Fiction, 7’, Director, Film editor
2011 “Eurocracy,” Short Documentary, 8’, Director, Camera Operator, Film Editor
2012 “Tango Therapy for Parkinson's,” Short Documentary, 6’, Director, Film Editor
2020 “The Journey of Askavlos,” Feature Documentary, 88’, Writer, Director, Producer

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Director Statement

As a filmmaker, I was inspired to start this project, by my childhood friend, Yannis Pantazis, who had embarked on a quest to learn to play the Askavlos. It was he who first discovered this community of like-minded people, who get together once a year for the Pan-Cycladic meetings, with the aim of revitalizing these musical traditions. Through Yannis, I was introduced to this world and attended several gatherings. The organizer, Tasos Anastasiou, urged me to bring my camera with me to help to document this effort to save the folk-wind instrument tradition. In recording the meetings I came to know a world that piqued my interest and engages me to this day. My experiences had a marked effect on me, and inspired me to edit my footage into a documentary film, which is more than a simple document of the event. It is, rather, a testimony to a musical journey that begins in ancient times and continues into the present day.

The film’s central theme is to gain an understanding of how a primitive instrument like the Askavlos, from the distant past, is now in danger of being lost and is trying to find an identity for the modern age. It is an instrument deeply rooted in agricultural rhythms and celebrations. It is saved thanks to the dogged hard work of a group of people dedicated to restoring and maintaining an ancient tradition. The instrument slowly but surely finds its way to the city, where modern musicians bring it into the contemporary music scene.