Review of Lesvia – the rise and fall of a mysterious group of lovers on the island of Sappho | Video

A A visually stunning, well-crafted documentary, this first feature from Greek director Tzeli Hadjidimitriou tells a story that is at once personal and public: about the gay scene that grew up around the town of Eressos on the island of Lesbos (also called Lesvos). Hadjidimitriou is from the island, but not Eressos itself, which was once the home of the poet of the seventh century BC. Sapphowhose love poems run through the film. Since their parents, single women, including the director himself, have flocked to Eressos for years to pay their respects. By the 1970s, an increasing number of nude tourists began to become a mere sight and a group, initially at a nudist beach where many women camped.

Pictures are still Hadjidimitriou and spliced ​​in the whole, plundering the glory of attracting women often naked, many looking chuffed to find a little corner of the sky where they can be alone. But relations with the local people were not always easy, and unsurprisingly the visitors faced various forms of homophobia, as well as aggressive attacks on their women-only area. Fortunately, as one woman remembers, there were usually small wounds to help us drive away the intruders. Over time, tolerance grew, due to the money the tourists brought to the island, and eventually, resorts and hotels run by women were started.

If it all ended there, it would be a case of paradise found. But things go wrong, maybe related to The financial crisis in Greece that began in 2009, and that revealed the economic instability of the country. Within a few years, many gay bars and hotels run by women were closed, and now the community seems to be less racist.

Hadjidimitriou builds his history in the mouth of interviews with some of the many women from all over the world who knew Eressos in its golden years, making a touching film, and the glory of the place has all disappeared, it continues with younger generations to continue to visit. The soundscape, almost always involving the sea, adds an interesting layering.