| A new DVD that combines our 1976 film, Ten Times Empty with extra images and sounds of Symi, an idyllic small Aegean island that was facing change in the mid 1970s.
In 1976 the barren, sundrenched Greek island of Symi has two resources: the surrounding sea and the legacy of a richer past. Life centres on the small township set around a deep natural harbour where the cafes are exclusively filled with men.
The customs and habits in Symi continue unchanged: the dowry system, the funeral processions, the periodic community announcements over the town loudspeaker, the church bells summoning almost 3,000 people to Sunday services.
Measuring 79 square kilometres, the only access to Symi is by boat from the island of Rhodes. There are no roads and no motorised transport.
A small tourism industry is emerging but fishing is the traditional family business. An old Greek proverb says, “The plate of a fisherman is ten times empty and one time full”. The contemporary implications of this bitter statement are seen through the eyes of 12 year old Vasilis and his family, whose lives as fishermen have become increasingly difficult.
A basic change is underway due to depleted resources. More Symiots are leaving and emigrating in order to make a living. The future of Symi is uncertain.
Modern Language Festival, USA: Silver Award (Ten Times Empty)
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