Person-centred, travel documentary with Ina Tarantou.

Ina Tarantou travels and gets a view of the "Alterlife". The exact location is not important. The journey becomes the destination and life is experienced through the eyes of the persons she meets. Stories of people whose actions manifest optimism, strength and hope. Through their "eyes" we see life, history and the beauties of our country. People who, despite the adversities, never gave up, took risks and developed new businesses, brought to light unexploited parts of the Greek landscape, and revived local products.

Further or closer to the urban centres, each story lets us in with its own beauty to another side of the Greek landscape, Greek society and Greek reality. Sometimes looking to the future, other times tracing back the deep roots of the past. It is the conveyance of the feeling of...breathlessness. Up on the castle of Skyros, on the top of Mt. Helmos counting the stars, to the playing of the philharmonic orchestras in the alleyways of Corfu at Easter, reaching down to the Cavo D'oro, walking on a tightrope over the gorge of the Aoos river in Konitsa.

Because life is even more beautiful, when you see the Alterlife!

There are as many different approaches to life, as there are people on this earth. However, no matter where you are or how you grew up, one thing is certain. That the feeling of belonging is an absolute human need. It provides peace of mind and security. It motivates us to share, to live together, to create. Another such absolute need, is of course the feeling of standing out. And acceptance of this diversity makes for a good team.

We met those small teams in a unique place called Zagorochoria, reminding us of the value of coexistence. We were enchanted when we met Yulia and Dimitris in Voidomatis. We were enchanted by the breathtaking scenery, as we were by them and their story. It was their love for horses and their choice to engage professionally with them, that brought Dimitris from Volos and Yulia from Moscow to Megalo Papingo. And the love they share is what made them decide to live their lives permanently in nature.

We were equally fascinated by our encounter with Sofia and Tasos in Vitsa. They are also two young individuals, who decided to leave their life in Athens and their interesting jobs, in order to live permanently with their two young children in Sofia’s birthplace. And they never regretted it. You can see that when you meet them, both in their eyes and those of their children. Every moment, in every conversation, they convey how enthusiastic they are to be living in Vitsa, how fulfilled they really feel, but also the importance of being a team and implementing what they love, despite any adversities that may come their way.

Then, Mr. Lampros talked to us about adversity and turned us a few decades back into the past, to when his village, Vradeto, had no road and the only connection with the nearest village were the stone steps paved across the mountain. He talked to us about the cold and difficult winters, but also about his father who told him “leave child and don’t look back!”. In the end, not only did he not leave, but now his daughter, Konstantina, who has just finished her studies, is there with him, as she decided to take action in the village and add a youthful touch to the wonderful tradition of this land, which her dad is devoted to maintaining.

Last, but certainly not least, there is another “restless” couple, Lila and Pavlos, who realised many years ago, when they met, that along with their nascent relationship it was time to change their whole way of living. Lila, always an advocate of trying new and different things, pitched the idea of decentralisation, after discovering Pavlos’ love for hiking and especially hiking in Zagori. It took less than a minute for Pavlos to realise it, and their new life, along with their family, began about 20 years ago in Kato Pedina. Zagori reminded us that the meaning of life is hidden in our relationship with other people and not in our individual existence. The people we met here reminded us what it means to truly be a companion, but also helpful through thick and thin. They reminded us what it means to mutually try for an alterlife!