The International Insular Film Festival that took place in the French island of Groix, paid tribute to Crete and Nikos Kazantzakis.

The International Insular Film Festival’s goal is to highlight and promote insular culture troughout the film and video production of all islands over the five continents. The festival this year was essentially dedicated to the Greek islands. It included the presentation of a documentary series about Ikaria, Lesvos, Makronissos, Tilos, Sifnos and Patmos, as well as painting and photography exhibitions.

The Greek island of Crete was a major part of five different documentaries entitled: “Gavdos. Southwards” by Anthi Daountaki, “Hippie-Hippie Matala! Matala!” by Giorgos Varelas, “Cretativity” by Manolis Kritsotakis (where various artists talk about their lives in Crete), “Sayome” by Nikos Dagiadas (which presents the story of a Japanese girl in Crete) and “The Call of the Mountain” by Stelios Apostolopoulos, which depicts the story of a Cretan sailor returning to the island and working with his family’s herd.

Meanwhile, Ross Daly gave a Cretan music concert, while the President of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis, George Stasinakis, talked about the author’s travels in the Cyclades and Crete, his love for his motherland and the importance of his novel “Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas,” after a screening of the Michael Kakogiannis film.

Read more about Nikos Kazantzakis