@@jerometurner8759 It is a comment on reflection and I understood from my point of view, and not to be taken literally as this dilutes the sentiment, I would try to digest it yourself and see what your mind conjures.
My mother's family was from Velonades in Corfu but I would have been touched to tears, as I now am, even if this was not so. The best documentary I have ever seen. I love Lawrence Durrell's writing but watching this has been a master lesson in life.
Thank you so much Laurence! You have made a whole village happy to remember the event (talking about the wedding scene at Kouramades). I saw myself a kid happily following the crowd (at 16'00 - 16'04) and simply couldn't believe it. Grandma, grandpa, dad and auntie all appearing in different scenes shot at my mum's house made watching the video really fascinating, needless to mention all those beloved elderly faces long gone now. So moving. My female English teachers Lia and Marie Aspioti were close friends of the Durrells, which explains why the final scene of the wedding took place outside Lia's beautiful house at Kouramades. A valuable documentation of a time when filming was only a professional privilege. I really feel grateful for this.
It feels very incredible to find something like this after so many years. This is a piece of great history and my deep respect for the author continues to grow. Thanks for sharing!
The summer after working on this film I also set off for Greece for the first time and loved the place. My girlfriend loved it so much she went to live there!
I had been searching for that series, Spirit of Place for some years. Saw it when it came out in 1976 and never saw it since. The BBC tend to lose stuff from that era. Well done digging it up. Yammas.
Wow! That was a master class in poetic communication. My spirit has been washed clean. Thank you Mr. Durrell. And thank you, Laurence Williamson, for posting this gem.
Having had many many holidays in Greece over the years i have such a love for the country and the people and having watched the Durrell's on itv this has brought it all together just wonderful Thanks for uploading it Yamas🍻
And I like the Musik very , very much !. ❤❤ In den 70ziger Jahren las ich eine Menge von Durrell ! Auch die Korrespondenz mit Hanry Miller , so " Den Koloss von Marossi " BEAUTIFUL !😊 Ich liebe Griechenland . 😍🤗 n Koloss von
What a wonderful personality Durrell had. And what a pleasure it is to listen to him speak in such a refined and intelligent way, in the very places he made famous in his books. I believe that he made several films for the BBC. Will they also be released on RU-vid?
As a Greek, i must thank you Mr.Durrell !Although you have portrayed us, Greeks, much better than we really are.But then again, in the past decades Greeks were very different from us, youngsters ,they were really connected with our homeland.(excuse my English).
@@MsMesem If you want to feel something of the original Greek spirit(at least what's left of it) stay out of tourist destinations. Go to the villages or the nearly deserted small islands.
@@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt My best experiences in Greece included getting a little lost on my Vespa on Crete, eating the eggs of a sea urchin caught with a long fork by a Greek on Ios, and wandering on the mainland.
Thanks for the great video. This was actually 1982, as it says that Lawrence Durrell is 70 this year and he was born in 1912. That particular BBC2 logo was only used between 1979 and 1986. Having said that it was surely a repeat and just aired in 1982!!
Well spotted! I didn't have a videorecorder in 1976 when it was first shown but had a Betamax by 1982 when it was repeated. The film was shot in 1975 and edited that long hot summer in a basement cutting room in Goldhawk Road. I went to Greece for the first time the following summer!
Blessings for posting this.........So true to the Greek islands.......and to go once and tour Greece and it's fabulous Greek islands, always forces you to go back time and again. After all the Greeks gave the entire world true cultured civilization, the arts, medicine, history, the sciences, the Olympics, Opera, all types of Sports and so much more, so it is natural for all human beings to be drawn to it's beauty and fabulous Greek heritage and many other wonders dating back to the beginning of civilized times in humanity.
Arguably the pre eminent English author of the second half of the twentieth century. He was apparently considered for the Nobel Prize in 1961 and, in my opinion, should have got it for the Alexandria Quartet alone. This is a superb post, of interest historically, aesthetically and as a literary backdrop. Many thanks for posting.
Thanks. It is great to see so many people enjoying it. Durrell seemed to be very relaxed making it, no doubt due to the brilliant Peter Adam who produced it and interviewed him. The film was Bafta nominated and filmed in 1975. It was edited by Simon Rose with whom I worked for many years.
What a nice documentary! Beautiful words of someone who knows how to write! It seems that Durrell's spirit will visit us transformed even in a sort of youtube writing idol.
The scenes at the harbour with the donkeys I believe is Hydra? One of my favourite places after Ermioni. I haven’t visited Greece for 20 years, I hope it hasn’t changed too drastically.
So THAT'S where it is! It looked incredible. Even though motor vehicle's are still prohibited, I cannot imagine it has retained the feel that emanates from this documentary.
Although changed obviously since 1975, the Ionian Islands are relatively still like this, architecturally and culturally. Luckily there are strict building controls that make sure that new housing for example follows the 'look' of traditional Ionian architecture, itself in turn heavily influenced by Venetian and British presence in centuries past.
This is such an evocative stitching together of Lawrence Durrell's voice, cadence, poetry and landscape. And the cinematography is as captivating as Corcyra is alluring. Is there a means to obtain a personal copy? I can't find anything on the BBC site, as though they don't even recall its making. Whether yes, or whether no -- posting this to RU-vid for us to become mesmerized by is a gracious example of humanity. Thank You.
Hi Steve, thanks for your kind words. I was the assistant editor on this film and loved it. I went to Greece for the first time the following summer, I made a vhs copy when the film was repeated a few years later and could make a dvd if you wanted. It was an early coproduction for the BBC which is possibly why they have no record of it. It was such a good film I thought it should be available - Durrell was also very important!
@@laurence.williamson Good evening, Laurence. I meant to get back to you earlier but I guess I waited until today... I would love to get a DVD of this to go along with my collection of Durrell first editions if the offer is still open. I don't know how to contact you, however. So, any suggestions would be appreciated. Best! -- Steve.
@@SpiralLink Hi Steve, no problem to make a dvd for you however it will be made from the same vhs copy that I have uploaded to youtube. It may look slightly better but you will see video artefacts unfortunately. To contact me search online for my name and 'film editor' in the uk and you should locate my personal work website which has contact details on it. Happy Christmas!
@@laurence.williamson that's a little amazing that you were involved in the production of this masterpiece, yet you had not stepped foot on Greece until after the event.
My thanks to you too, Laurence. This may be the same question as Robert's (2 years ago), but has anyone tracked down the other program in the series, Spirit of Place: Lawrence Durrell's Egypt? I contacted the BBC (November 2018), but they couldn't help - they are not set up to provide access to single programs like this.
All I have found is a written account by Lawrence Durrell himself of the trip to Egypt to shoot "Spirit of Place: Lawrence Durrell's Egypt" movies2.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/durrell-magazine.html
Given that it was filmed in 1976, Paddy had in all probability seen it and liked it. In archive.ert.gr/7857/ at 30'-31'25 Paddy speaking in greek about the influence George Katsimbalis, the Colossus of Maroussi, had on all of them, particularly on Lawrence Durrell.
I met and sketched Patrick Leigh Fermor when I visited Kardamili about 15 years ago and he told me to watch this if 'it became 'available' as he put it. I watched it now for the first time and it's one of the most beautiful programmes I've seen in years . So thank you to all involved especially the 'poster'.
I'm glad you liked it. Sadly I only kept this episode when it was re broadcast in the early eighties. I worked on this film (uncredited) as assistant film editor in 1975 and was lucky enough to meet Durrell at a preview screening. I think this film was particularly well made, great interviews, superb photography with a then new 20 to 1 lens and beautifully stitched together. Quite memorable.
The Egypt film was filmed the following year (1976) as far as I remember and made with a completely different crew. Still directed by the great Peter Adam. It's possible the BBC still hold a copy of the original 16mm film in their library. If anyone has a vhs lurking in their attic I would be happy to transfer it and upload it.
@@johnoregan7154 Hi, I discovered that there is a copy in the BBC library but I was unable to get it out. The BBC are now wary of their stuff going on to RU-vid! The copy was only a low res viewing copy but the 16mm master was also there. This would be costly to transfer though. It was probably an early coproduction like the Greek film was. So copyright is probably not clear which may also be why the BBC has left it alone. It is a shame. I will try again via a different route.
@@laurence.williamson laurence... You say the BBC had a copy in the library? Were you permitted to view it there? Would gladly make the trip to London just to see it.
I would imagine that his family had no choice but to learn the language, as they were there for 4 years, and I daresay 95% of the population did not speak English.
43 min pérennité....hmmm , hard to find a healer in Greece, very hard. The old ways of medecine have all but disappeared. The jabs sold well there, people won over by big pharma. Very sad.
Why? Just because he used "One" for first person "I" in his conversation? If that is the sole reason, I think you are being a bit unfair. One has been used quite a lot in such a way by older people in their generation. Just because he used one, doesn't mean he was posh or snob.
@@sinogarcon as an Australian 9with Greek heritage), I always found the use by the English of the prefix Un- to be quite amusing. eg 'Unhand me!' ... 'Not stupid, but unschooled.' And there was one Laurence used here as well!
Hi Jane, that's correct. Sappho Durrell came along to the screening of this film when it was finished. There were only 5 or 6 of us at the screening. She was very quiet throughout and seemed shy. Her life had been troubled and after she died letters came to light that indicated that the relationship she had with her father had been particularly difficult - to put it mildly.
The music does not capture the spirit of the place - the inauthentic zorba music and the epirus music are so disingenuous in a film about Corfu. And cricket was introduced in Corfu during the English rule.
I beg to differ too. The music playing at the end of the episode for instance, "Thalassaki mou" (My dear sea), is a traditional song of the Aegean; from the island of Kalymnos, most experts agree. The lyrics roughly go like this: My dear sea don't pound the sailors - My sea why did you drown the young woman's husband? - she's too young and black doesn't become her. Here's a full version of the song, with scenes from "The girl in black", one of Durrell's favorite greek films : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uCBY2ZuFy2o.html
@@stradavisinului You know, Alexandra, it was interesting that you thought the music was romanian. So I did a bit of RU-vid searching, because I had no knowledge of romanian traditional music. Athough I should have, considering Romania is a Balkan country, with rich history and, as people who visited it have told me, with very friendly and smart people. And also a friend of Greece! But, me, well I only knew the Great Dimitri Candemir - who is not traditional, of course- and nothing else..! Unfortunately, I got confused. I only found some song-dances with a really quick rhythm, which sound like Slavic Balkan, and I don't really like them. But where are the tunes that distinguish Romania from the rest? And where are the sad and melancholic songs? :-) If you have a suggestion, It would be great. Especially songs/tunes with traditional clarinet, which was the one that got you confused in the first place, when you heard it in the documentary.
@@sotiriapapadopoulou8945 Thank you, Sotiria, for your nice answer. Here is an example ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j2Aqs47YvJE.html
Greek religion preach that animals have no soul I bet Gerald wouldn’t like that. You never talk about your mother and brothers and sister. Or Spiros 🤷♀️
