Thanos Manos
"Νάшиτε" (read Nashite with thick s) is a mini documentary about the concept of identity in relation to the dances and music of the border region of Florina. How do people of Florina identify themselves when dancing traditional dances? Do they express their locality? Ethnicity? Nationality? Or simply their cultural identity? Since the early 1990s, Florina has become the center of political tension caused by state policies applying ideoligical doctrines and aiming at the performative manifestation of greekness (what is greek and what is not) Using a series of video recordings from 1998-1999 made by my father, which included everything from public events with dance presentations to weddings, feasts and festivals, I decided to travel back to my place of origin with a handycam and get to know it again, discovering how dance and music can mean much more than they seem at first glance.
Thanos Manos
Thanos Manos is a graduate of the Department of Audio and Visual Arts of the Ionian University
with main interests in photography, editing, sound, history and practice of cinema and
documentary. He has participated in various film productions as editor, assistant, artistic
collaborator and actor. Ηe is currently studying acting at the Drama School of the National
Theatre of Greece. The work "Νάшиτε" was completed in 2024 under supervision of Professor
Iakovos Panagopoulos.