The “Greek Salad” and Hfaistos: One year since the completion of filming
On April 24, the French series “Greek Salad” started airing on Amazon Prime. A phenomenal series that was shown in 240 countries and was shot entirely in Athens!
Tom and Mia’s story manages to speak freely about issues such as love, family, friendship, xenophobia, poverty and prejudice.
Its disparate characters try to overcome the obstacles that divide them and fight for their own ideals, which seem to be identical in the end.
A very important aspect of the heroes’ journey is the space factor to which the filmmakers seem to have paid particular attention. This story is set in the city of Athens, highlighting its often conflicting elements and showcasing the beauty that results from its contrasts.
Apart from the exteriors, however, the common factor of the story and its heroes is placed from the very first episode in the building inherited by Tom and Mia in Athens, which “embodies” the historical building of Hfaistos.
It is from this building that the story actually begins, with Tom going to Athens from New York to settle the issue of its use with his sister, Mia, who already lives in the city.
But things don’t turn out as he imagined, as the abandoned building he was expecting to meet seems to be inhabited.
The fifth floor of the building is rented without the consent of the owners to five young people and soon the centre of action moves there when, after a fire at the NGO where Mia works, all the refugees she was hosting move there, along with the fifth floor tenants and of course the protagonists.
The building comes to life and becomes a melting pot of different cultures, goals and concerns of each of its guests.
It becomes the background in which the characters fall in love, are disappointed, realize, change.
As the story progresses, the building and its preservation in the possession of the protagonists becomes vitally important to them as well as the relationships they have created.
This process fails after many challenges and the end of the building coincides with the end of the series, leaving the feeling that this unique symbiosis has become the unifying element of its contributors, helping each one to find himself.
Hfaistos and its contribution to production of “Greek Salad”
A year has passed since the end of filming at the facilities of Hfaistos and all the participants have maintained the best memories of this process.
Both the team and the facilities of Hfaistos, with their aesthetic and practical contribution, made a great impact to this unique result.
It was a very interesting use of the building that gave it a different perspective and highlighted its creative potential.
The choice of this particular space for an initiative of such a large scale undoubtedly proves the adaptability and variety that the facilities of Hfaistos can offer, a fact that has already been demonstrated by its uninterrupted and multifunctional use over the last 73 years.
The members of Hfaistos considered this collaboration as an opportunity to expand the practice of creative use of its facilities, serving similar initiatives in the context of letters and arts.
