Lesvia – A Documentary By Tzeli Hadjidimitriou
EVENT INFO
- When: 07 Mar 2025
- Where: Danaos Cinema, Leof. Kifisias 109, Ampelokipoi
- Price: 7€
- Title: Lesvia – A Documentary By Tzeli Hadjidimitriou
- Website: www.cinedoc.gr
The multi-award-winning documentary by Tzeli Hadjidimitriou in a special screening at Danaos, with the director in attendance
With Greek Subtitles.
CLICK HERE to watch the official trailer!
With Greek Subtitles.
CLICK HERE to watch the official trailer!
The first feature-length documentary by Tzeli Hadjidimitriou will be presented in a special screening on Friday, March 7, at 21:30 at Danaos Cinema. Following the screening, there will be a discussion with the director.
Synopsis
In the 1970s, lesbians from around the world began arriving in a small village on the Greek island of Lesvos. As tensions with the locals grew, filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou—a native of Lesvos and a lesbian herself—tells a 40+ year story of love, community, conflicts, and the quest for acceptance.
This could be any beautiful town on any picturesque Greek island. But it isn't. Eresos, a village with a current population of 1,581, carries a unique historical and cultural significance. Connected to the ancient poet Sappho, Eresos has, for decades, been a beacon and a utopia for the global lesbian community.
For over 40 years, lesbians from around the world have gathered here in search of love, freedom, and a sense of belonging. But their relationship with the local community has not always been smooth. Who defines the true meaning of the word Lesbian? And how ready can a small society be to embrace a complete shift from the heteronormative model—let alone become a symbol of it?
Filmmaker, photographer, and author Tzeli Hadjidimitriou carries the identity of a Lesvian both in the literal and cultural sense. With Lesvia, her debut feature-length documentary, she delivers a powerful record of Eresos’ transformation from the 1970s to today, preserving an essential piece of LGBTQ+ history. The film brings to life the story of a place and a community through rare archival footage, diaries, photographs, videos, and interviews with the people who have shaped its identity over the years.
Lesvia premiered in the International Competition section of the 26th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, where it received a Special Mention (Mermaid Award) and the Hellenic Film Center Award for Best Debut Greek Director. The documentary also won the Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Festival Écrans Mixtes in Lyon and has been showcased and awarded at numerous international festivals over the past year. Highlights include: Audience Award – Wicked Queer: Boston’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Best Feature Film – Zinegoak Film Festival, Festival Favorites & Director’s Choice Awards – Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Best Feature Film (DOK International Jury Story) – Zinegoak Film Festival & Special Mention – Queer Porto.
Director’s Note
I was born and raised on the island of Lesvos, whose light, people, and landscapes have always inspired me. In all my previous work, I have sought to capture the spirit of Lesvos and its people. With Lesvia, my first feature film, I wanted to take the stage as a proud member of the lesbian community and tell the story of how this unique community was formed.
The film is the result of ten years of work, during which I collected material and conducted in-depth conversations with dozens of members of the lesbian community and locals from Eresos. I hope I have given everyone the space to be their authentic selves.
Eresos itself—this breathtaking volcanic landscape with its endless beach, blue waters, and unique light that once inspired Sappho—is one of the central characters of the film. Its image, shifting through different seasons, intertwines with my own personal story. In this sense, Lesvia is both a personal and a collective narrative. It is not just my story, but the story of hundreds of lesbians who have fought to carve out a space where they can exist freely and safely. A space where the lesbian community continues to evolve and expand, offering an undeniable and secure haven for self-expression.
About the Director
Tzeli Hadjidimitriou was born and raised in Lesvos. She is an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist, and author. Her photography has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Australia, China, Italy, Turkey, and Greece and has been published in numerous photobooks. She developed a passion for cinema through workshops with Michelangelo Antonioni and later studied Cinematography in Rome. Since 1990, she has been filming, photographing, and documenting the lives of Lesvos’ residents.
Her book A Girl’s Guide to Lesbos (2012) was the first guide to document the lesbian history of Eresos and its connection to the ancient poet Sappho.
She is a founding member of Anemos Dimirourgias, a creative initiative based in Athens that produces works exploring gender, sexuality, and cultural diversity through film, documentaries, photography, visual arts, and symposia. Lesvia is her first feature-length documentary.
About CineDoc
CLICK HERE to view the CineDoc 2024-2025 Program in Greek!
CineDoc selectively screens and distributes award-winning Greek and foreign documentaries as part of the Cinedoc Festival. The screenings are organized in cooperation with the French Institute of Greece, Danaos Cinema, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, CineDoc Volos, the Municipality of Volos, "Simeio" Cultural Space in Rethymno, the Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF), and Thalassa Foundation. The screenings aim to encourage dialogue and inspire collective actions around themes such as the environment, gender equality, inclusivity, education, history, etc.
Additionally, it collaborates regularly with cultural institutions, universities, agencies, and organizations (e.g., the Gennadius Library, Harokopio University, SAE Athens, European University Cyprus, Megaron Music Hall, Piraeus Bank Cultural Foundation, etc.) and participates in conferences, festivals, and cultural events, organizing special screenings (e.g., Irida Visions, The Future of Retail, Ocean Film Festival, Piraeus Port Film Festival, Athens Pride - Athens, Europride - Thessaloniki, Come as You Are Festival - Larissa, Limassol Documentary Festival – Cyprus, etc.).
CineDoc constantly expands its network through the organization of documentary screenings under the CineDoc Island initiative, both in the islands (Cyclades, Sporades, Ionian, and Dodecanese) and the rest of Greece, in collaboration with local organizations and cinema clubs. The screenings are held under the patronage and financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
For More Information: https://www.cinedoc.gr | cinedocanemon@gmail.com
