Faith in Silence
by Katina Calakos
Faith in Silence explores the current status of religious diversity in the relatively homogeneous city of Thessaloniki. It analyzes the disproportionate representation of Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy through footage of mapped places of worship and artifacts. It features an absence of audio to express the silencing of minority religions due to historical events, as well as the often unspoken, internalized relationship between individuals and their gods.
Katina Calakos is a sophomore at Barnard College majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior and working on her requirements to be an Athena Leadership Scholar.
Thessaloniki: Crossroad of Past and Present
by Michael Anthony Fowler
Thessaloniki: Crossroad of Past and Present consists of a series of colorated black-and-white photos, presented as vintage "postcards" of some of the city's principal landmarks: ancient and modern. Accompanied by ambient sounds collected around Thessaloniki, the images invite an exploration of the dynamic intersection between past and present in this age-old city.
Michael Anthony Fowler is a second-year doctoral student of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University.
Faces of Macedonia
by Andrea Hinojosa
This piece is about the many faces of Macedonia both ancient and modern. It progresses from the Macedonia of Alexander and his family to the Thessalonika of the Roman emperor Galerius. In making this film I hoped to convey my own conception of Greek identity and its many facets. To quote the conservator with whom I had the pleasure of speaking, "a Greek is not someone who was born in Greece, or someone who speaks Greek, or even who lives in Greece. Once you Hellenize, Greek is in your heart."
Andrea Hinojosa is a post-baccalaureate in the Department of Classics, Columbia University.
Thessagraffiti
by Nicholas Price Irvin
Thessagraffiti is a work about the voice of Thessaloniki's graffiti. This film was recorded during the Greek economic crisis, during which the city was filled with graffiti. The documentary explores graffiti as a voice of the city which can only be understood if people don't cover up or ignore the city's graffiti.
Nicholas Price Irvin is an undergraduate at Reed College.
Crisis
by Roshawn Johnson
Hippocrates and Galen, to refer to a 'turning point in a disease', used the word 'krisis'. This piece is an embodiment of that usage. It aims to show that though the effects of crisis are present in Thessaloniki, there is still a turning point to be had. By focusing on the positive aspects permeating society despite the negatives that abound, there is hope that crisis may be changed to krisis.
Roshawn Johnson is Jamaican, and a sophomore at Columbia University majoring in Biochemistry and studying Modern Greek.
All Roads Lead to the Sea
by Norita Mengu
In Thessaloniki, all roads lead to the sea. I was initially drawn to the city for its past—both its rich Ottoman and Byzantine legacies. This video explores Thessaloniki as it is today, flashing back and forth between day and night. It depicts our everyday journey through the square and towards the port, where all things thrive.
Norita Mengu is a junior at Columbia College majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science.
Still/Moving
by Benjamin Moe
Still/Moving is a piece about static characters in Thessaloniki who exist on a separate plane than the rest of the hustling, bustling city. The lone homeless boy and the shouting lotto vendor - normally stigmatized for their marginalized and static existence - are in fact some of the few characters who break away from the frenetic routine of everyday life. This documentary attempts to appreciate these individuals and their roles in the everyday urbanism of Thessaloniki.
Benjamin Moe is a Freshman at Reed College and is majoring in Art and English.
teleftaia jackpot
by Jacob Moe
This piece manipulates the viewer's perception of the space/time continuum in order to highlight the gray space between still and moving images. It uses footage from an interview and split-second images of text from store windows.
Jacob Moe is a Junior at Pomona College and a major in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).
Sights and Sounds of the Agora
by Elise Mordos and Alexis Tchaconas
Our project records the sights and sounds of the marketplace (agora) in Thessaloniki, Greece. We captured the natural environment of the agora by walking through with a camera and audio recording device. We recorded for several days, and integrated the typical exchanges from each day into a single audiovisual experience. Our video contains images of the local cuisine, with background audio from the agora.
Elise Mordos is a Junior at Barnard College, studying Economics.
Alexis Tchaconas is a Sophomore at Columbia College, studying Neuroscience, Linguistics, and Modern Greek.
Las Huellas (The Traces)
by Hilary Szot and Eileen Voges
Thessaloniki is a city in which many different cultural histories and influences thrive. Before coming to the city we looked into what possible Hispanic influences could exist there. At first the only answers were linked to the lost civilization of Sephardic Jews within the city. When we got to Thessaloniki, however, we found Hispanic influences in language, dance, and food. The Hispanic influence does exist and it seems to be a relatively recent development that is emerging in Thessaloniki through different spheres of culture.
Hilary Szot is a sophomore at Columbia University and is majoring in Political Science and Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Eileen Voges is a sophomore undergraduate at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia University and is majoring in Chemical Engineering.
Documenting the Urban Crossroads:
Culture, History and Language through Media
Spring Break Study Trip to Thessaloniki, Greece, March 2012 & March 2014
Program in Hellenic Studies, Columbia University
Culture, History and Language through Media
Spring Break Study Trip to Thessaloniki, Greece, March 2012 & March 2014
Program in Hellenic Studies, Columbia University