Five Greek-Jewish children who were saved by brave Christian families during the German Occupation, five hidden children who lived in total silence, finally tell their stories. Stories of terror and anguish, but also stories of salvation and carefree childhood in the arms of “strangers” – which became nests of love, away from the horror of the Holocaust. Five children who were forced to mature abruptly. The movie follows these persons from childhood to the old age, revealing their hidden stories and invaluable personal documents – a diary of a child, photographs, home movies, etc. It also depicts the life of the Greek Jewish Communities before the War, complemented with rare images of Occupied Greece from archival material, as well as amateur films by German soldiers and once-illegal footage shot by Greek patriots. A film about childhood in the shadow of the Holocaust.
Kisses to the Children
Φιλιά εις τα παιδιά
Screening Schedule
No physical screenings scheduled. |
- Direction: Vassilis Loules
- Script: Vassilis Loules
- Cinematography: Dimitris Kordelas
- Editing: Vassilis Loules, Chronis Theocharis, Yannis Katsamboulas
- Music: Nikos Kypourgos
- Production: Massive Productions, Vassilis Loules, Greek Film Centre, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT)
- Producers: Vangelis Fampas, Vassilis Loules
- Format: HD
- Color: Color
- Production Country: Greece
- Production Year: 2012
- Duration: 114'
- Contact: Vassilis Loules (vassilisloules@gmail.com)
- Awards/Distinctions: Audience Award – Greek FF Chicago 2012, Best Feature Length Documentary Award of the International Jury, Best Feature Length Documentary Award of the Children’s Jury – Olympia IFF for Children and Young People 2011, Best Direction Award of the Jury, Award of the Public– “Agon” International Meeting of Archaeological Film 2012, Best Direction, 2nd Best Documentary, Best Music – Chalkida Greek Documentary Festival 2011
Age 13+
Vassilis Loules
Filmography
1990 Absent (short fiction)
2000 A Bright Shining Sun (short fiction)
2005 Lela Karayannis, the Fragrance of a Heroine (short)
2012 Kisses to the Children
2014 And I Also Passed by There and Had Paper Shoes to Wear
2014 The Noose (short)
2019 Soulmates (short, co-direction)
2022 A Big Family
2000 A Bright Shining Sun (short fiction)
2005 Lela Karayannis, the Fragrance of a Heroine (short)
2012 Kisses to the Children
2014 And I Also Passed by There and Had Paper Shoes to Wear
2014 The Noose (short)
2019 Soulmates (short, co-direction)
2022 A Big Family