Summary

Between 1947 and 1950, more than 80 000 Greek citizens were imprisoned on the isle of Makronisos (Greece) in reeducation camps created to ‘fight the spread of communism’. Among these exiles were a number of writers and poets, including Yannis Ritsos and Tassos Livaditis. Despite the deprivation and torture, these prisoners succeeded in composing poems, which describe their struggle for survival in this world of internment. These texts, some of them buried in the camps, were later found. «Like Lions of stone at the gateway of night» blends these poetic writings with the reeducation propaganda constantly piped through the camps’ loudspeakers. Long tracking shots take us on a trance-like journey through the camp ruins, interrupted along the way by segments from photographic archives. A cinematic essay, which revives the memory of forgotten ruins and a battle lost.

Credits

Director, photography, editing:          Olivier Zuchuat
Scenario :                        Olivier Zuchuat, Eleni Gioti
Literary research and assistant:             Eleni Gioti
Artistic collaboration :            Corinne Maury
History Expert :                  Stratis Bournazos
Grip :                  Carlos Sturmey
Best Boy Grip                        Thanassis Karabelos, Yorgos Rigas
Sound :                        Aris Athanassopoulos
Voice: Jean-Claude dauphin
Voice recording :                  Stelios Karakyklas, Stephane Larrat
Sound editors :                  Vincent Montrobert, Julien Bourdeau
Mix :                        Denis Séchaud
Color Correction :                         Ulrich Fischer
Pictures Scan :                        Ifigenia Tzimouli, Eleni Gioti
Production Director – France :          Sophie Daniel
Administration – France :          Arlette Vaurs, Véronique Foulon, Sophie Guyon
Administration – Greece :          Dimitra Balamouti
Administration – Switzerland :         Suzanne Meier, Monika Bregger, Stephenie Hernandez
Produced by                   Pierre-Alain Meier, Xavier Carniaux
Co-produced by                   Thanos Lambropoulos, Olivier Zuchuat

Producing company :          Prince Film (CH), A.M.I.P. (F)
Co-production :                   Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS), Periplus (Greece), Les Films du Mélangeur (F)
With the participation of         Pong Film – Berlin (D)
With the help of
Office fédéral de la culture (DFI), Suisse
Région Midi-Pyrénées
Fonds Regio Films, avec la Loterie Romande
Fonds culturel de Suissimage
Fonds Succès Cinéma
PROCIREP - Société des producteurs et de l'ANGOA
Fonds d’Aide à l’Innovation Audiovisuelle du Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée

Format

Shooting format :         HD 1080
Screening Format :         DCP 24i or HDCAM 1080p
Length :         87 min
Screen :         1,78
Sound :         dolby 5.1

 

Contacts

SUISSE :         
Prince Film SA
P. A. Meier, Coin-dessus 3
CH – 2863 Undervelier,
Tél. ++ +41 32 423 17 78
Email. G: meier(at)princefilm.ch

FRANCE
A.M.I.P (Audiovisuel Multimedia International Production)
52 rue Charlot
75003 PARIS
mail : amip(at)amip-multimedia.fr

GREECE        
Periplus,
176, Aristotelous St.
112 51 Athens.
Tel. : +30 210 8670478
mail : periplus@ath.forthnet.gr        

International sales :        
Doc and Film International
Daniela Helstner
13, rue Portefoin
75003 Paris
Tél: ++33 1 42 77 56 87
Mail:  d.elstner(at)docandfilm.com