Avra Georgiou
Messolonghi is a small coastal town in western Greece, stigmatized by its historical past. Two diverse social groups live there, local Greeks and Gypsies. In the past Gypsy drummers accompanied the Greek soldiers in their fight against the Turks.
Today they still live side by side in harmony with strong mutual respect. What binds the locals and the Gypsies together today is a, once a year, unique communal celebration, the feast of Saint Simeon, the city’s patron saint.
They engage in a five-day exhausting festival of dance, parades and food
and…where the Gypsies provide the music.