Click here for the full documentary . A CBS crew visited the mountain and made footage of Simonos Petras and Vatopedi. They talked with many fathers some of American origin. There are some shots from the Vatopedi vault which can be opened with 3 keys and where they store a large collection of icons. A father who once was professor in Harvard talkes about the protection the Holy mountain got from Hitler during WW2. An interesting documentary.

 
Also watch "the making of" part here.

 
Producer Michael Karzis in the kitchen of Vatopediou

The "60 Minutes" team was also stranded on Mt. Athos when heavy seas hit after the two-week shoot ended. Now back in New York, Karzis and Radliffe still seem moved by their time on the stunning mountain. If you're interested in visiting Mt. Athos as a pilgrim, these "60 Minutes" videos are arguably the best visual record ever created and the best place to start your research. If you're a woman, these videos may be the only way you'll ever see Mt. Athos. No women allowed.

hv

Here (again) the French "controversial" documentary on DVD from 2010, published with subtitles in different languages, 52 minutes long, about life on the Holy Mountain in 2007. Made by director Eddy Vicken and writer Yvon Bertorello, with an estimated budget of € 400.000,00.

Trapeza Docheiariou

In the meanwhile I had the opportunity to see the documentary yesterday evening. According to me the only "controversial" thing about this documentary is the fact that it was shot without permission of the Iera Epistasía. The film showes an interesting view about life in monasteries (not only in Docheiariou, but also in Esfigmenou) and of Mount Athos' cultural and religious heritage, but it also shows its amazing nature and history. 

The film gives a neutral account of life on Athos in 2007, were, if you like it or not, Esfigmenou is a part off. It is true that the abbot of Esfigmenou and the French monk get their chance to explain their point of view, but I did not get the feeling that the maker of the film was promoting their ideas, in fact an opposite reaction might occur: viewers might reject their extreme points of view about religious ideas and why they call themselves "Zelotes". As a Dutchman living in Amsterdam, where many different (religious) groups of people lived together for a long time (Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Katholics, Jews, Moslims, Hindoes, Boedists and humanists/non-believers), I always get a little nervous when groups of people start quarelling about their religious ideas. It reminds my of dark times in history and recent unpleasant events in this city …….

But anyway, officially you can take pictures on Mount Athos, but it is still forbidden to shoot films (= moving images), and I have seen that video-cameras were confiscated on the boat to Dafni. In meanwhile everybody knows that almost every photocamera or cell-phone has the possibility of shooting (HD)-films, so the compliance of the rule is nearly impossible. I would recommend to lift the ban on filming in this modern age, it would make things much easier.

"For the first time since it was founded by a Byzantine Emperor in 963 in northern Greece, this forbidden territory opens up to outsiders—and cameras—to reveal the complexities and beauty of a hidden society".

  
Monk Docheiariou smiling

 
Fresco of the Apocalips in the Trapeza

 
French monk on the stairs of a building near Esfigmenou

Wim, 2/3

Ten years ago this Greek documentary is made, mainly shot in the russian Skiti Ag. Andreou (Serail). You can see it on You Tube in 7 episodes:

part 1: old filmfootage, scenes from the Serail in the winter, Karyes and Lavra.

part 2: Serail – winecellar, church (before restauration), relics, icons



part 3: Serail, Karyes (Protaton – Panselinos), kellion tailor, Serail photos/ library, Simonospetras

part 4: Serail – blacksmith, clock, horses and cats, Iviron, kellion semantron

part 5: Serail – fence, bells, winter, icons, church

part 6: Serail, Palio Monasterio, Roussikon, nature, Serail ossuarium, Pascha Protaton, the Cross, kellion, Pharmacy Serail

part 7: jewelery, Panaghias, the Top, icon painting, Serail photo studio, Kavsokalivia, Kaliagra, boat.

Two more DVD’s about Athos/monasteries are for sale on Ebay:

A reader from Rumenia showed us a DVD about Athos, with images of Skiti Prodromou and long monoloques of Rumenian monks (see here on You Tube).
Wim, 27/1

A Greek film about Mount Athos in 4 parts from the 1970-ties (judging the hair cut and oufit) from "OUT TV". Especcialy the shots made from an airplane are worth to see, but also the Kaliagra scenes and shots of the old bus driving to Karyes.

part 1:

part 2:

part 3: 

part 4: 

Wim, 26/9

In blog nr 1101 we showed you a monk with a great sence of rythm playing the semantron, here you can see a pilgrim playing the Athos bells.

Wim, 2/9

A monk with talent plays the semantron (in Rumenia, not Athos):

Wim,(thanks to Tin), 27/8

This film in 7 episodes is made by NBC-news in 1983. Unfortuanately we cannot embed it from You Tube, so you’ll have to do it with these links.

1. episode
Boat from Ierissos to Esfigmenou, Vatopediou, Stavronikita, Lavra and Iviron, the baking of a special bread.

2. episode
Festival of the Panaghia of the gate with the procession to the Katholicon and the feast dinner in the Refectory.

3. episode. With Karyes, Skiti Andreou, Channel of Xerxes, Ouranopolis, Xenofontos, Docheiariou, Panteleimonos, Dafni and Dionysiou, with an English speaking monk John who came to live there in 1963.

Karyes: Father Panteleimon

4. episode
Dionysiou, , library, refectory, fresco’s books of revelations.

Dionysiou: Father John the gate keeper

5. episode
Ossuarium and Father John telling about his his life on Athos.

Father John tells the story of his life

6. episode: Simonospetras, Gregoriou, Karoulia, Katounakia (icon painters)

7. episode: siversmiths and Chilandariou.

Katounakia: silversmiths

Vintner of Chilandariou

The original film was made in 1977 by John Keshishoglou: Mt. Athos: The First One Thousand Years.

Thanks to Vasilis, who did a good job finding this film!
Wim, 15/3

Vasilis send us two links of films from 1979 and 1980. The first – short – film is from a service in the Protaton church in October 1979 (just a couple of months before my first visit to the Holy Mountain – July 1980).

The second film is an unique image, shot from a small airplane flying over the monasteries. It has the title Selection, pl. b (in Plagal, Second Mode) and there are subtitles in Greek and English with the texts of the Psalms.
Have a look at the Iviron monastery, where you stil see the wall in the southeast (scene 4), nowadays partly filled up with a new building. Scene 17, starting at 7.49, got me confused, because it lookes like a river flowing from a village, but it is in fact the (wet) road from Karyes to Skiti Andreou, that shines in sun!

Sografou and surrounding buildings (scene 16: 7.35)

1. 0.00 – 1.13 Skiti Andreou and Karyes
2. 1.14 – 1.20 Lavra
3. 1.21 – 1.33 Vatopediou
4. 1.34 – 1.48 Iviron
5. 1.49 – 2.27 Lavra and its harbor (Arsanas)
6. 2.28 – 3.44 Arsanas and Lavra
7. 3.45 – 4.28 Lavra
8. 4.29 – 5.16 Lavra
9. 5.17 – 5.42 Docheiariou
10. 5.43 – 6.16 Chilandariou
11. 6.17 – 6.19 Docheiariou
12. 6.20 – 6.21 Xenofontos
13. 6.22 – 6.28 Pantocratoros
14. 6.29 – 6.32 Sografou
15. 6.33 – 7.12 Sografou
16. 7.13 – 7.48 Sografou
17. 7.49 – 8.24 Koutloumousiou and Karyes
18. 8.25 – 8.39 Stavronikita

Wim, 7/3

There is opposition against this film because they filmed without permission. more.
Thanks to B. Kamps. Photo shot in Paris:

hv

Sacred Mount Athos – Treasures from the Byzantine Millennium. The award-winning documentary about the second most revered site of pilgrimage in Christianity outside of the Holy Land. Take a behind the scenes look at the ancient treasures and iconography kept locked inside the sacred monasteries.

Video from Google Video (which could not be embedded). Thanks to Rainer.

Wim, 16/1