MOURNING ROCK

Elefsis is a small, industrial town, 20 kilometres west of Athens. As early as prehistoric times, this town has been linked to the ancient Greeks' favourite myth, the myth of Demeter, goddess of agriculture and fecundity of the land, and her daughter, Persephone. This is where, according to myth, grain crops were first cultivated, and this is where Greece's largest industries were developed, with disastrous consequences for the region and the sanctuary. We have been filming this town for the past ten years, from the point of view of the pilgrim; we have been watching everyday events, both humble and noble; and we have discovered funeral gifts from the ancient countenance built into the walls of modern life. Elefsis is to the West, a holy land, a point from where one can look both at the world around him and at himself.