Sundance Film Festival-winning director Talal Derki has paid tribute to the people of Lesvos for their extraordinary humanitarian efforts throughout the refugee crisis in a short documentary titled "Ode to Lesvos."
"Ode to Lesvos" tells the stories of the islanders whose uncompromising compassion has earned some of them, including Stratis, fellow fisherman Thanassis Marmarinos and 85-year-old Aimilia Kamvisi a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
"This was a deeply personal project, influenced by my life experience of the Syrian and Greek cultures," said Derki, himself a Syrian exile who was honoured at Sundance for his documentary on the war in his homeland - Return to Homs.
Throughout the past year, headlines from the region have naturally focused on the tragic aspects of the unfolding human drama in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Ode to Lesvos shines a light on a lesser told story - the inspiring response of islanders who opened their hearts to the refugees and whose positivity drove them to rescue people from the sea, give shelter, and provide food and water.
"Following the events of last summer and knowing first-hand the despair migrants face as they seek refuge and a better future for their families, I felt compelled to tell the inspiring story of the response of the community of Lesvos. Their enduring positivity, readiness to help, and, above all, humanity remind the world that it is possible to make tomorrow better than today."
“I give them all the respect...they say that a human person, a simple person can do a miracle, they can do what all governments cannot be able to do, so this is the point of the film. What they did is a great job. It's a great effort,” Derki said from Germany, where he now lives.
The film was created by Scotch whisky maker Johnnie Walker as part of its Storyline initiative, which gives a voice to real life stories from around the world.
*Ode to Lesvos can be viewed here https://youtu.be/INkT00ewy48?list=PLxitlhQXKCQyzUWycTBoQ_7zvuYr22lj-
* Photo caption: 85-year-old Aimilia Kamvisi features in Ode to Lesvos, a new documentary film by Scotch whisky makers Johnnie Walker, which charts the spontaneous humanitarian response of the Greek islanders who helped almost half a million refugees forced to flee their homelands. The islanders' inspiring human response has earned them a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. (PRNewsFoto/Johnnie Walker)
