Creative Documentary Centre-Siege of Chania: Mama Creta

The Creative Documentary Centre of Kalamata invites you to a unique cinematic experience on Monday, June 9th, with the screening of the shocking documentary "The Siege of Chandakas: Mama Creta" (Greece, 2025, 78 minutes) by Orpheus Peretzis. As part of our summer programme, we are transported to 17th-century Crete, to one of the most dramatic pages in history.

Orpheus Peretzis' film, a high-quality production by COSMOTE TV that has already distinguished itself at festivals, brings to life the 22-year siege of Chandakas (today's Heraklion) by the Ottomans. It was the most prolonged siege in world history, an event that lasted from 1648 to 1669 and profoundly shaped the history of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Through personal testimonies, the reenactment of the struggles of the besieged and the attackers, the vain efforts of the Venetians to hold on to their last stronghold in the East, and the inclusion of an unrequited love, the documentary takes us to an era where memory and time collide almost four centuries later. The film is not simply a historical record, but a profoundly human approach that highlights the psychology and living conditions of the people who experienced this epic siege.
The screening of the film is part of the action 'Destination Journey' - Regional screenings of the 27th IFNP.

We are waiting for you on Koutsomitopoulou pedestrian street, at the welcoming Doc Cafe, at sunset, to enjoy this exceptional cinematic creation together that honours the history and endurance of the human spirit.

Information: Film:
Director: Orfeas Peretzis
Screenplay: Natasa Segou
Director of photography: Haris Doukakis, Giorgos Bobolakis
Editor: Thodoris Armaos
Sound: Pasquale Valle
Production: COSMOTE TV, Indigo View Productions
Producers: Faye Tsitsipi, Giota Kalafati, Ioanna Davi, Kostis Panagiotopoulos
Narration: Alexandros Logothetis
Production: Greece 2025
Duration: 78'

Date: Monday, June 9th
Time: At sunset
Location: Doc Cafe, Koutsomitopoulou Pedestrian Street, Kalamata
Minimum consumption of 3€ applies