A city in a city, an organism to itself - three curious foreign bodies are trying to go deep down the maze of Athenian passages, the so-called Stoas, trying to make sense of that place. Or are they rather giving sense to it? A multitude of approaches, research methods and aesthetic practices are lying in front of them. One more tempting than the other. But which one will they choose, should they choose? Furthermore, not one Stoa equals the other. How can we ever come into terms with a locus like that? In the end, maybe the three keen explorers must come to terms with the fact that it’s just a place after all.
2024 - 09' – English (Available subtitles: English)
A film by: Jonathan Bugiel, Sara Cecconi, Sofia la Malfa
Music: Leif Thorpe
Color Grading: Esther Kreiner
This is not a conventional journey. It’s not about following a set path or arriving at answers. These foreign explorers are confronted with an abundance of possibilities—research methods, aesthetic choices, ways of seeing. Each offers a different lens, but none are simple or definitive. What they face is a complex, layered environment where every Stoa holds its own identity, its own voice. As directors, we aim to immerse the audience in this state of curiosity, confusion, and wonder. We want them to experience the Stoas as the explorers do—without a clear path, caught between discovery and acceptance. Through visual disorientation, soundscapes that mirror the city’s rhythms, and fluid pacing, we will embrace the ambiguity. The audience will not be led by the hand, but encouraged to question, feel, and reflect, just like our protagonists.
