MEMENTO
78 minutes, 2021
Director : Nikos ZIOGAS (Greece)
Production : Boo Productions (Greece)
Memento is a lyrical documentary about Epirus, the Balkan region shared between Greece and Albania. An elegy to the Epirus which is dying, but also to the Epirus which lives on. A love song for those who stayed, for those who migrated, for its musicians and its unique nature. The film takes us on a journey to Giromeri in Thesprotia to discover the daily life of this small village during its Easter celebrations, in search of its roots and a very particular custom. Through songs, the few inhabitants left in the village try to keep traditions and legends alive, and to ensure the continuity of life – even when it comes to an end.
Nikos ZIOGAS was born in 1986 in Florina, Greece. He has worked as a DoP on numerous film and television productions. In 2018, he directed the short film Spring (10′), which had its world premiere at the 21st Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. He has worked on several projects about people living on the margins of society – the homeless, refugees, migrants. In recent years he has mostly filmed the ongoing refugee crisis caused by the war in Syria, following people as they try to find a new life. His first feature documentary Memento premiered at the 24th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, where it received the award for Best New Greek Director.