La Pierre triste

Elefsis is a small industrial town, some 20 kilometers west of Athens. Since prehistoric times, this town has been linked to the favorite legend of the ancients, the myth of Demeter, goddess of the earth, of agriculture and of fertility in general, and her daughter Persephone. The Eleusinian Mysteries that were held here for two thousand years were related to the life cycle itself and granted the mystoe, or initiates, hope and blessedness in facing death. Here where according to legend grain, the gift of the goddess was first cultivated, some of Greece’s largest industries developed with disastrous consequences on the environment and the sanctuary. We have been filming this town for ten years from the perspective of the pilgrim. We observed every day activities both humble and grandiose, discovering grave offerings from its ancient identity built into the walls of modern life. Eleusis lies to the west. It is a sacred place, a landmark and a vantage-point from where one can gaze outwards at the world around as well as inward into one’s self