Copyright © 2025 - 2026 | Created & Hosted by WEBMAN
The oath of the shepherds of Psiloritis expresses, both symbolically and substantively, the many dimensions through which a social and communal mechanism of cohesion, conflict resolution, and customary law evolved, originating from our distant past.
Through the creation of the ethnographic documentary Niza – The Oath of the Shepherds, it becomes particularly important to make an initial audiovisual reference—starting from the oath itself—to the practices and customary traditions that formed a distinctive cultural mosaic around the roots of Psiloritis.
More specifically, the design and structure of the documentary develop around the narration of the oath as an unwritten institution and social mechanism through lived experience and folk culture, scientific documentation and social research, legal scholarship, as well as the significance of faith. The research of the documentary focuses on the Monastery of Saint George at Diskouri and on the importance that the oath held for shepherds, with initial case studies in the areas of Anogeia, Zoniana, and Livadia.
Undoubtedly, it represents an active process for the pastoral communities of Crete, preserved as a heritage passed down orally from generation to generation among shepherds, with significant sacred toponyms extending from Chania to Lasithi.
This project was carried out under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage, and the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, within the framework of supporting and promoting the activities of cultural organizations in Greece.
The production was executed by the Cultural Management company Androidus Project Tank, in co-production with the Cultural Organization for Culture, Tourism and Youth of the Municipality of Mylopotamos “O Avlopotamos”, with the support of the Region of Crete and the Municipality of Anogeia.
The production team of the documentary includes:
Giorgos Kalomoiris, Antonis Dagiantas, Manolis Foinikianakis, Spyros Roumeliotis, Marina Geronti.
Director: Manolis Foinikianakis.
Sound recording and sound design: Spyros Roumeliotis.
Editing and color grading: Tasos Stamatakis.
Interview cameras: Iraklis Pakioufakis.
Organization and communication: Marina Geronti.
Additional cinematography:
Manolis Foinikianakis, Tasos Stamatakis, Iraklis Pakioufakis, Androidus Project Tank.
Drone footage: Tasos Stamatakis.
The contributors who developed the thematic approaches of the documentary and appear in order are:
Dimitris Kallergis, Shepherd, Anogeia – Narration.
Nikos Psilakis, Journalist – Researcher, Mythological approach.
Father Raphael, Abbot of the Monastery of Diskouri – Religious approach.
Aris Tsantirópoulos, Director of the Laboratory of Visual Anthropology,
Associate Professor of Social Anthropology, Department of Philosophy and Social Studies, University of Crete – Anthropological approach.
Nikos Skoulas, Lawyer at the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos), Regional Councilor of the Region of Crete – Legal approach.
Dimitris Parasyris, Shepherd, Zoniana – Experiential approach.
Aristeidis Nyktaris, Shepherd, Livadia – Experiential approach.
Nikos Vrentzos, Shepherd, Anogeia – Experiential approach.
Vasiliki Petousi, Director of the Laboratory for Gender Research,
Associate Professor of Sociology of Law and Deviance, Department of Sociology, University of Crete – Sociological approach.
The music of the documentary was curated by:
Giangos Chairetis, Musician – Improvisation on the laouto and the lyra.
Vasilis Dramoundanis, Musician – Improvisation on the mandolin.
The interviews and documentary organization were conducted by:
Giorgis Kalomoiris
Antonis Dagiantas
Dimitris Kallergis
Special thanks:
To His Eminence the Metropolitan of Rethymnon and Avlopotamos, Eugenios, for his support in the creation of the documentary and for granting permission to access and film at the Monastery of Saint George at Diskouri.
To the Regional Governor of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis, the Deputy Cultural Advisor Konstantinos Fasoulakis, and the Regional Councilor Nikos Skoulas.
To the Mayor of Mylopotamos, Dimitris Kokkinos, and the President of the Municipal Council, Manousos Klados.
To the Mayor of Anogeia, Sokratis Kefalogiannis.
To the Municipal Music Artistic Association “Domna Samiou”.
To Evangelos Kyriakidis, Associate Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Kent.
We also warmly thank:
Entrepreneur Petros Beleniotis, owner of Building Solutions by Beleniotis.
Entrepreneur Michalis Dagiantas, owner of the Faistos Super Market in Anogeia.
The family of Alekos and Georgios Dagiantas and the Arodamos Tavern.
Theodora Stratakou and Marina Alygiizaki from the Social Welfare sector of the Region of Crete.
Entrepreneur Michalis Serpetsidakis and the company MIND.
Iraklis Pakioufakis and Intro Editing Studio.
Athanasios (Thanos) Kotsis, PhD candidate in Folklore and Anthropology at the University of Ioannina.
The livestock farmers Giannis and Dimitris Parasyris (Polostelio family) in Zoniana.
Entrepreneur Manolis Nyktaris, owner of the OPAP Nyktartis branch in Perama.
Livestock farmer Nikos Vrentzos.
Livestock farmer Dimitris Kallergis.
Associate Charalampos Skoulas, owner of CS Financial accounting office.
Lawyer Giannis Parasyris.
Hotel group training manager Kostas Ouranos.
Steve Bure.
Copyright © 2025 - 2026 | Created & Hosted by WEBMAN