Austrian Director Shoots Documentary Film ‘Greece in Bloom’

“Unemployment, poverty, unrest, default. In the eyes of the Europeans, Greece is collapsing. But what is life really like out in the olive groves, on the islands and taverns during the Spring of 2012?”

 All throughout April, award-winning Austrian author and director Fabian Eder, along with DPs and photographers Richard Wagner and Andreas Handl, travelled from Crete to Western Greece to answer this question and create a current, multimedia portrait of a country that has been crippled by the economic crisis and received numerous negative reports by international media.

“Greece in Bloom” is a project that aims to break down stereotypes and prejudice formed lately against Greece and its people. The initial idea was born out of the blue, while Eder and his wife, Katharina Stemberger, were having their breakfast. Their discussion revolved around the unfair mourning over Greece’s fate and the social alienation of its people due to unfavorable media reports.

“Greece in Bloom contributes to the way out of a crisis, which naturally – and luckily – concerns all of us, all European citizens. Greece and its population…that is more than an economic crisis. Values other than gross national product and the cutting of debts need to be focused on for a perspective to arise for finding a way out of the dilemma.”

Shooting began early in April and was set to be finished by early May. The 50 minute-long feature film will be ready by the end of the month, and will present Greece to the Austrian public in a completely different light from the one that reduced tourist arrivals from Austria by 50 percent.

The Austrian team was interested in capturing everyday life of the Greek people away from politics. Besides shooting, Eder and his partners kept their online blog griechenlandblueht.wordpress.com updated by posting photographs, comments and personal experiences from their journey.