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Builders, Housewives and the Construction of Modern Athens − 2021

An Onassis Culture production. A documentary by Tassos Langis and Yiannis Gaitanidis

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A documentary about the most distinctive Athenian building type, the polykatoikía, and the reconstruction of the city through the life of the anonymous lay builders and their housewives, who were the most unlikely “co-authors.”

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Synopsis

Who were those people from the countryside who came to Athens with their wives after the Civil War and ‘cemented’ the city? Who ‘demolished’ the neoclassical buildings and why did they fill the Attica Basin with apartment buildings?

How did they learn and develop their craft, where did they come from, what techniques and knowledge did they carry with them? How did they reinvent their tools to satisfy emerging needs? How did they communicate and negotiate with the ‘educated’ architects? What were their wives asking for? In other words, what was the story of their encounter with the ‘project of modernity’?

As long as these ‘co-authors’ remain invisible, the history of modern Athens is still incomplete, if not also deeply deceptive.

This documentary is based on the same-titled book by Ioanna Theocharopoulou, revised and published in 2022 by the Onassis Foundation.

The film premiered at Athens International Film Festival "Opening Nights" 2021 (Official Competition)

Film Stills

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    Still from the "Builders, Housewives and the Construction of Modern Athens" film

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Credits

Produced by Onassis Culture

Written and Directed by Tassos Langis and Yiannis Gaitanidis

Scientific Consultant: Panos Dragonas

Photography and Camera Operation: Tassos Langis and Yiannis Gaitanidis

Editor: Tassos Langis

Aerial Shots: Tassos Fytros – Flyingdog Greece

Sound Recording: Stefanos Efthymiou, Yiannis Gaitanidis

Sound Design and Mixing: Persefoni Miliou

Motion Graphics: Georgia Skartadou

Line Producer: Yannis Karachalios

Executive Producers: Shampoo Films / Eleni Asvesta / Harry Patramanis / Yannis Karachalios

Dialogue Editor: Chara Konstadara

Foley: Nikos Linardopoulos

Additional Camera: Viktoria Vellopoulou

Colorist: Manthos G. Sardis

Post Production Coordinator: Che Panousopoulos

English Subtitles: The Wordsmiths

Equipment: Kostis Nikolopoulos - Rent Photo Video

Music Licensing: Musou Music Publishing


Onassis Culture

Director of Culture: Afroditi Panagiotakou

Deputy Director of Culture: Dimitris Theodoropoulos

Group Communication & Content Manager: Dimitris Drivas

Head of Content: Alexandros Roukoutakis

Head of Creative: Christos Sarris

Talks & Thoughts Program Coordinator: Pasqua Vorgia

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