When Stamathis Pipinas talks about his work his eyes are gleaming like the polished surface of his copper- and brassware.
A workshop on the edge of the road. The trade of a basket weaver can be exercised practically anywhere and needs only few tools. The manual skills of Skyros’ basket weaving Roma people.
When a big iron-casting factory went bankrupt in the mid-sixties in Volos, Nikos Tsakas’ father established his foundry. The Tsakas workshop makes semi-finished goods and spare parts for industrial and agricultural machinery and is also working on art casting for the church and artists.
Konstantinos Vogiatzakis is the only saddler in the region of Magnisia that still makes traditional Greek saddles for donkeys and mules.
“During the summer months I helped out in the workshop. I remember making my first pair of sandals when I was twelve years old. I was so proud.”Olgianna Melissinos (sandal maker)
Their islands have been calling the Greeks to the sea for a long time. The caïques, Greek fishing boats, are the remains of a culture of boat building developed over centuries. We are visiting Dinos Korakis, one of the last boat builders of the island of Spetses.
In Alexis Kappas’ tannery you can experience an ancient craft up close.
The fishermen’s village Kilada in the Argolian gulf is famous for its caïques, Greek wooden boats.
The Mountakis brothers’ workshop is located in Metaxourgeio. Michalis Mountakis speaks about his craft, the importance of high quality and the long tradition of lutes in greek music.
In a small workshop in Athens’ artisans district Psiri Christos and his father Barbalias Kurtoglu are sewing customised “Tentes”, sun blinds.
The Mentis ribbon weaving company is located at 6 Polyfimou Street, not far from the Benaki museum in Pireos Street. The manufacture that was donated to the Benaki museum by the Mentis family in 2011 is run as a living museum and allows the public an insight into the traditional production methods of ribbon weaving.
In the workshops of the Presidential Guard, behind Athens’ parliament building, a national symbol is cultivated.
Before Olgianna Melissinos opened her sandal workshop and thereby continued the family tradition she was working in IT. Melissinos sandals are famous all over the world. For film stars and celebrities of the 60s they were part of the Greek flair. Nowadays Olgianna cooperates with international fashion companies.
„A pot like this you will only buy once in a lifetime, it is indestructible.” Stamathis Pipinas (coppersmith)
The soft clicking of the komboloiá – the worry beads that are sliding through the men’s hands – is part of a Greek kafenion as much as is mocha.
On the island of Skyros Yannis Krinis’ production of natural honey is already in the third generation. He and his wife Dimitra Markou are slowly expanding their product range and supply shops in Athens.
In the scanty uninhabited hilly landscape on the island of Skyros the Karabinis brothers’ flock of sheep and goats bleats and baas.
Lefteris Avgoklouris tells us about the island Skyros’ particular tradition and the connection to his passion, woodcarving.
In the fishing port Agia Kiriaki, kaiki, traditional wooden boats, are repaired in the boatyard Kikynthos.
Rather than spending time alone in their kitchen in the mountain village of Vizitsa, Andromahi Karagiannopoulou and her friends prefer to cook together. The cheerful group of women has turned a tradition into a business model and has founded a women’s cooperative.
“The boats are like children for me.”Yannis Lekkas (boatyard owner)
The Athanasopoulos familiy continues the craft of wickerwork in the traditional way. Their core business is to build and repair the wooden greek tavern chair.