For the twelfth year, the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation is organizing its successful film series titled “Afternoons with Greek Documentaries,” at its building in Tavros. Selected Greek-produced documentaries will be screened once a month through May 2027, in the presence of the filmmakers or other guests.
The screenings begin on Monday, October 19, 2026 (at 6:30 p.m.) with the documentary “Themelis’s Dialogue” (2025, 77'), written and directed by Vangelis Efthymios. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director.
Set against the backdrop of the magical archaeological site of Ancient Messene, where the past openly converses with the present, the documentary chronicles the life of the great archaeologist Petros Themelis through his intellectual quests, his journey, his dreams, and his works. This essence emerges from his accounts of various phases of the last five years of his life at the archaeological site where he lived and worked for thirty-seven consecutive years until death found him there. A pioneer of archaeology, a true intellectual, guides us not only through his second home, Ancient Messene, but also through his own intellectual world. For that is how he approached his science—as a gift to be shared, as a piece of the past that must communicate with the public across time and without intermediaries. This sharing was the goal of every study, every excavation, and every conservation effort throughout Themelis’s career. And this is precisely what comes to life in the film. Archival footage spanning decades coexists with the present through projections onto the monuments.
Filming took place during the last five years of Themelis’s life and was completed shortly after his death in the fall of 2023.
Screenplay and Direction: Vangelis Efthymiu, Editing: Ioanna Poyantzi, Music: Kostas Vombolos, Cinematography: Vangelis Koulinos, Kostas Matikas, Sound Recording, Sound Design: Kostas Dokos, Color Grading: Hratz Altunian, Titles: Woodgear Animation
, Archival Footage and Coordination: Society for Messinian Archaeological Studies
; Additional footage: Dimitris Kordelas, Alexandros Stigas, Emmanouil Armoutakis
; Production management: Alba Koka, Christina Karnachoriti
Producers: Vangelis Efthymiu, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos
Production: landart PRODUCTIONS EE, FALIRO HOUSE PRODUCTIONS SA
With the support of DIAZOMA and the Society for Messinian and Archaeological Studies.
For more information and reservations, please contact the Historical Archives at 210 3418060 (Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.).
Doridos Historical Archive
, 2 Doridos St. & 14 Eirinis Ave., Tavros
, Tel.: 210 3418051 | www.piop.gr
