Institute for Mediterranean Studies

Laboratory of Image, Sound and Movement

The aim of the research team of the Laboratory of Image, Sound and Movement is to utilize the research findings, which are collected in all divisions, centers and laboratories of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies, and - through processing the data concerning history and culture - to produce scripts on Mediterranean history and culture, educational documentaries, and theater, dance and music performances. The Lab will thus bring out and give prominence to the cultural heritage, in addition to organizing actions (such as festivals and exhibitions) and implementing digital projects. An additional aim of the Lab's research team is to collaborate with other universities, research centers and cultural foundations in research projects and to train graduate students and early-career researchers in the promotion of 'digital cultural material' through their participation in the Lab's activities.

The research interests of the Lab include the relationship among image, theater, music and dance; the local traditions in representational arts; and the representation of ancient theater, music and dance in conjunction with and theoretical comparison to developments abroad. The Lab also aims to bring to public attention the rich ethno-musicological material, which has been collected in the Institute for Mediterranean Studies since 1987, and to present it via the Institute's Digital Archive of History and Culture. A major objective of the Lab is to resume collecting songs, instrumental works, poetic texts, recordings and interviews and diffuse this research to a wide local and international audience, as well as to run seminars, educational projects and cultural events for the promotion of this material. An additional objective is to continue the Institute's past activity in documentary practice. Since the early 1990s, the Institute for Mediterranean Studies has produced a series of documentaries (on El Greco, Argyropoulis, Herakleion, and traditional Cretan music), which was broadcast on national television.

The Amargianakis’ Archive holds a prominent place in the collections of the Laboratory. It includes the evidence and the audiovisual material from the research activity of G. Amargianakis (1938-2003), Professor of Ethnomusicology (UOA), distinguished Member and exemplary collaborator of the IMS. His research activity was structured in the three major programs hosted by the Institute:

  1. Greek Traditional Music (IMS-FORTH / 1986-1990)
  2. Integrated Mediterranean Programs (IMPs) (1991-1994)
  3. Thalitas (GSRT-EPET II / 1994-1999) (IMS, DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC STUDIES UOA)
  4. Crinno Music II (Region of Crete - CRINNO / 2000-2006)

Since 2018, a further mission of the Lab has been to initiate and develop research on film history, which had not been a research field in the Institute in the past; combine film studies with research in other humanity fields; and collect and utilize film-related archival material. In particular, its film history research mainly focuses on a) Greek cinema, b) Mediterranean and, more broadly, island culture representation, c) film issues related to Crete and  d) relation of cinema with other arts. Furthermore, the Lab has also created close links with the Department of Theater Studies of IMS, hosting a series of drama-related lectures and performances and coordinating theater-related digital projects.

Major Achievements since 2018

The Laboratory of Image, Sound and Movement, formed in 1986 by professors of musicology, theatrical studies and history of art of the University of Crete in collaboration with Greek film makers, was active until 2003. It resumed its activity in 2018, after about 15 years of inactivity.

Since its re-organization in 2018, the major achievements of the Lab have been the following

  1. production of a significant number of scholarly publications.
  2. documenting, cataloguing and processing the ethnomusicological material of the archive of  G. Amargianakis (1938-2003), Professor of Ethnomusicology, distinguished Member and exemplary collaborator of the IMS.
  3. acquiring the rights to digitize, use for research purposes and present to the public archival material of two important figures of Modern Greek culture, Stratis Karras and Errikos Thalassinos. In 2021 the Lab completed the digitalization of the Stratis Karras’s works (including previously unpublished ones).
  4. cataloguing and bringing to light the institute’s past filmmaking activity, consisting of educational and cultural documentaries; resuming its filmmaking activity through the production of a 2019 video presentation of the IMS (available at IMS’ home page  https://www.ims.forth.gr/en/index ); supporting the production of Elias Giannakakis’s documentary film Metafora (Transfer) (along with the Greek Film Center, Hellenic Parliament Foundation and ERT,  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13678710/companycredits?ref_=tt_dt_co)
  5. Running of a music project, supporting a performance project, and creation of a database documenting information regarding selected international productions shot in Crete. Upon its completion the data base will be uploaded to the lab’s site.

People

Panayiota Mini

Panayiota Mini

Associate Professor of Film History
Department of Philology, University of Crete
Curriculum vitae
Ιoulia Pipinia

Ιoulia Pipinia

Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies
Department of Drama, Faculty of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Dr. Kaya Davies Hayon

Dr. Kaya Davies Hayon

Lecturer
The Open University, UK
Curriculum vitae
Katerina Komi

Katerina Komi

Ph.D. candidate
Department of Philology, University of Crete
Grigoris Voskakis

Grigoris Voskakis

Ph.D. candidate
Department of Philology, University of Crete
Katerina Drymiskianaki

Katerina Drymiskianaki

Postgraduate student
University of Crete
Angelos Aletras

Angelos Aletras

Associate researcher
Stephanie Donald

Stephanie Donald

Professor, University of Technology Sydney
Research Associate
Curriculum vitae
Eirini Koutsaki

Eirini Koutsaki

University of Crete
Aristi Makrygiannaki

Aristi Makrygiannaki

University of Crete
Ioannis Mathioudakis

Ioannis Mathioudakis

University of Crete
Clara Périé

Clara Périé

Sciences Po Aix, Aix-en-Provence (France)

Projects

International Film Productions in Greece: The Case of Crete

International Film Productions in Greece: The Case of Crete

This project focuses on international film productions that were shot on the island of Crete, Greece, which, since the late 1940s has attracted many foreign film crews. In particular, the project examines the reasons behind producers’ choice of Crete as a shooting location, the legislation under which these productions became feasible, and their consequences for the local economy and society. This project is implemented by the University of Crete, Greece.