Kisses to the Children – by Vassilis Loules, Sunday, 24.01., 17:45 (Hall 2)

Five Greek-Jewish children who were saved by Christian families during the German Occupation, five “Hidden Children” who lived in total silence, tell their stories. Stories of terror, anguish and confusion but also stories of salvation and carefree childhood in the arms of strangers. Secret Gardens of Eden, nests of love away from the horror of the Holocaust. Five children were forced to mature abruptly.
Rosina, Iossif, Eftyhia, Shelly and Marios grew old, carrying the memory of those children who were never given time to grow up.
The movie focuses on these persons, revealing secret aspects of their lives and invaluable personal documents. It also depicts the life of the Greek Jewish Communities before the War, complemented with rare images of Occupied Greece from archival material, as well as amateur films by German soldiers and illegal footage shot by Greek patriots. Kisses to the Children is not just another film about the Holocaust; it’s a film about childhood in the shadow of the Holocaust.

Vassilis Loules

studied Electrical Engineering (National Technical Univesity of Athens) and Cinema. Collaborated with Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) as Coordinator of the Short Films Program, and with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Film Archive.
His films have won awards at festivals, were shown on TV in Greece and abroad and are used as educational material at universities.
They deal with personal stories amid the turbulence of History.
His short A Bright Shining Sun (2000) was broadcasted by ARTE and was screened all over the world within the framework of ‘‘The New Greek Cinema’’ Tribute.
His documentary Kisses to the Children (2012) has won awards at festivals, was in theatrical release in Athens & Thessaloniki, was screened at events all over Greece, and received many rave reviews. It is currently in special screening in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia.

release date:

2012

director:

Vassilis Loules

type:

documentary

country:

Greece

duration:

115 mins

languages:

Greek with German subtitles