Lineages of wood and stone: discovering the beauty of Omodos village

In this video, we travel with videographer and wedding photographer George Avgousti to the village of Omodos, situated some 42km north-west of Limassol, and renown for its wines.

We follow George’s floating lens through the community, beginning with a multi-level exploration of the undoubted jewel of the village – the Monastery of the Holy Cross – rich with visual flourishes such as a glimpse of hanging deacons’ robes, a dizzying 360-degree shot looking up at a bell-tower and a lingering glance at the Church iconostasis.

We almost physically experience the shift in temperature leaving the cooler, sacred interiors to pass back out into the bright, fierce sun, the stillness of ancient structures broken only by birds flying and out of frame.

We continue through Omodos’ narrow stone roads to catch sight of small galleries, taverns and handicraft shops, plants in traditional pots, re-purposed wine barrels, carefully-tended roof gardens, culminating in a store selling dried goods, sweets and treats.

As we follow along, one thing becomes clear: rural communities had and still have a different relationship with stone, wood and earth, than do city dwellers.

For one thing, it was their own physical labour that shaped their homes, streets and churches. It was their hands, legs and backs that carried and lifted, painted and secured, swept, painted, adorned and restored. It was their years of life that filled the structures around them with gatherings, celebrations, venerations and farewells.

Courtyard flagstones and walled roads, intricately-carved doors and stairwells, balconies, pulpits and pews… all connect the past to the now, standing in for lineages going back generations, preserving their memories and alchemising them into living stories.

To view more scenes of the island through George’s lens, or to book him directly for your special day, follow him via:

• His website: https://georgeavgousti.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdKm9PQd3rKwsSL61fmhELQ/videos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gavgousti
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/george_avgousti_photography/

View the original video here.

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