Voices of Evia (working title) – documentary

The name Evia, probably given by Homer, reveals the fertile arable land, and the healthy cattle from which the island was originally named. "Ευ" and "βους " means good ox. It is a very special place where time seems to have stopped in a good way. Traditions over 100 years old have been kept alive and people who have not yet retired remember their childhood with donkeys and no electricity. Evia is a place where many 'alternative' people and artists from Athens, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK have made their new home.

The recent 2021 wildfires in northern Evia burned for 11 days. More than 150.000 acres of land, including wild forests, olive trees, orchards, barns, and many village houses were reduced to ashes. Not only that, the lives of the people living in this area changed dramatically: over 800 people lost their jobs, with no future for work as regenerating the forest will take at least 20 years.

My farm burned down completely. https://www.facebook.com/themirafarm

The main part of the farm stands on 1 acre and on this piece of land, there were more than 300 trees, shrubs, herbs, and flowers. The edible forest, the last two years, could sustain itself with very little water even in the hot Greek summer. This was thanks to the full ground coverage with plants and organic material. However, the abundance of organic material was one of the reasons why the farm burned completely.

The losses include two tractors, 6 caravans, 1.5kw of solar power with 2 inverters and charger, a small wind generator, a petrol generator, an 80 m2 Yurt, 5 wooden constructions, a lot of tools, and 10 years of hard work of at least 300 volunteers that visited the farm and helped to build the permaculture edible forest. The total estimated damage is around 70.000 euros.

I struggled for quite some time with my emotions over this devastating disaster and my thoughts of what to do next. And then an idea came of how to help the place dear to my heart and move on at the same time.

Before moving to Evia, I was a film director. I did commercials for tv, company videos, and also worked with dance groups, and actors on various art projects.

I believe that my knowledge and experience in farming and permaculture, my appreciation and intimate connection with northern Evia, the people, the traditions, and the land (I have walked almost every inch of that part of Evia) make this documentary a life mission for me.

1. Evia before the fire - the history, the people, the nature, the traditions, the struggle, the beauty.

2. The fire, the destruction, the devastation, the cry, the miracle, the responsibilities.

3. This "fire" is still burning and destroying the social bonds and diversity in Greece and in the whole world.

4. Pine tree, the "Prodigal Son" and the proposal for sustainable regeneration: How the forest biodiversity and trees can teach us to respect social biodiversity.

Filming must start immediately now that everything is still "fresh" in people memories.

Your help is the missing ingredient for this project.

Help Evia's voices go around the world - help us transform this big disaster in an opportunity for a better future for Evia!