Greek made-for-tv documentary film directed by Lydia Konsta, and hosted by Kalliopi Savranidou.
“Living on the Edge” is a documentary series that highlights contemporary Greeks who live “on the edge”: people living in extreme conditions, unusual ones, living and working on the edge – in the heights, in the depths, in solitude. This is the fifth episode of the series.
This time, our journey starts at dawn from Thessaloniki to Kyra Panagia, a deserted island that belongs to the second zone of the Marine Park of Alonissos-Northern Sporades. In this protected area, there is the dependency of the same name that belongs to the Megisti Lavra Monastery of Mount Athos. Here, Father Onoufrios and Father Chariton live their monastic life in the middle of the sea. Life in the monastery is unknown to most people, and also to Kalliopi, our host, who is called to participate in the daily life of the monks of Mount Athos whose main occupation is prayer! Surely it is a great challenge for one to discover what Father Onoufrios means when he says “there is the wilderness of the cities and then there’s the society of the desert”.
————-
Original Title: “Ακρίτες”: Κυρά Παναγία: Οι Ακρίτες της Πίστης
Movie Trivia:
1. The original title of the series is “Akrites”, a term derived from the Greek word akron/akra, meaning border and edge, and describes those who the term describes those who literally live on the edge, guarding the farthest borders. The term was used in the Byzantine Empire to denote the frontier soldiers guarding the Empire’s eastern border, facing the Muslim states of the Middle East. Their exploits inspired the Byzantine “national epic” of Digenes Akritas and the cycle of the Acritic songs, which remain popular among Greeks to this day.
2. “Living on the Edge” is a documentary series that highlights contemporary Greeks who live “on the edge”: people living in extreme conditions, unusual ones, living and working on the edge – in the heights, in the depths, in solitude. Each episode opens up horizons for viewers to get to know Greece and the possibilities that exist where others see only difficulties. Focusing on the human being, Kalliopi Savranidou, the series’ hostess, attempts to coexist and work alongside people who live on the “edge”, traveling everywhere, from the heights to the depths. The show focuses on human strength, the ability to survive in incompatible environments and to achieve goals inspired by higher ideals.
source
