Walls | Christos Sarris – 2023
An Onassis Culture production
“Walls” by Christos Sarris is a reminder of the power of storytelling and the human ability to find hope and meaning even in the most challenging of circumstances.
Christos Sarris’s “Walls” draws heavily on his personal experience working with incarcerated individuals at a prison in Nigrita, Greece, where he taught the basics of filmmaking on both a theoretical and practical level. Through a series of workshops, Sarris provided them with the tools to create a film that not only speaks to their own experiences but also resonates with audiences around the world, discussing fundamental rights and values.
The film is accompanied by a musical adaptation of C. P. Cavafy’s poem “Walls” by Laura Jane Grace, Emmy-nominated artist, author, activist, musician, and founder of the American punk-rock band Against Me!
“‘Walls’ is a thought-provoking film that takes place within the confines of a prison. Through the eyes of inmates, we are given the opportunity to explore the themes of freedom, dreams, hope, and the human condition in a way that is both poignant and emotive. The powerful musical adaptation of Cavafy’s poem ‘Walls’ by Laura Jane Grace adds another layer of emotion and depth to the already compelling narrative.”
The film “Walls” was created as part of series of shorts exploring the cinematic power of C. P. Cavafy’s language, which premiered at the festival “Archive of Desire”: A Festival Inspired by the Poet C. P. Cavafy, held at the New Museum in Manhattan, NY, in May 2023.
Directed by Christos Sarris
Music written and arranged by Laura Jane Grace
Camera: Christos Sarris, Dimitris Zivopoulos
Assistant Directors: Smaragda Dogani, Dimitris Zivopoulos
Editor: Marios Kleftakis
VFX: Aias Kokkalis
Sound Mixer: Dimitris Miyakis
Sound Designer: Giorgos Chanos
Color Correction: Manthos Sardis
Translation from Turkish: Yannis Panourgias
Production Coordinator: Elena Choremi
Executive Producer: Marina Danezi (Laika Productions)
Production Assistants: Stelios Doulgeridis, Angeliki Avgeri
Production Manager: Tasos Koronakis
Featuring: Bankin Ahmado, Fikret Oz, Anxhelo Pambuku, Saimir Kaceku, Adnane Sengad, Giorgos Vidakis, Vassilis Grammenidis, Spiros Drosakis, Kostas Barkoulis, Christina Koutsandrea
Thanks to: Georgios Economou, Director of Nigrita Penitentiary, Konstantinos Papathanasiou, Secretary General for Anti-Crime Policy, Civil Protection Ministry
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