Souls of a River is an artistic documentary, lingering in the depths of the Evros river, the natural border between Greece and Turkey. Director Chris Krikellis crafts a poetic portrait of a region that stands as both a bridge and a barricade between two lands, a site of connection marred by friction. Here, borders are more than lines on a map—they are battlegrounds for national identity, ethical accountability, and the fragile sanctuary of those who dare to cross.
Evros is a river of stories. It has borne witness to centuries of conflict and camaraderie, but since Greece’s entry into the EU, it has become a bitter frontier for many. Through dense bureaucratic restrictions, attempts to commune across this space—where continents and cultures meet—have become fraught with peril. For thousands of migrants, Evros is a daunting crossing where a path to hope is met with deadly risk. Pavlos Pavlidis, a forensic doctor conversing in the documentary with Krikellis himself, works at the morbid juncture of this struggle, identifying bodies retrieved from the waters or found abandoned on its banks. The deep lines in his face reflect the heavy duty of his work, as he sifts through remnants—DNA samples, scattered belongings, the smallest details—to match the unknown dead to their loved ones. Despite a systematic protocol, this search for identity is complicated, arduous, and often heart-wrenchingly inconclusive.
The film’s imagery is meditative and heavy with meaning, if you pay attention. Panning shots of tangled trees, wide skies, and shimmering waters reflect the constant movement and uncertainty of the lives passing through. The river itself flows as a silent observer, carrying sediments dense with political weight, each current echoing both past battles and present crises. Pavlidis’s paper trail—a bureaucratic labyrinth documenting attempts to cross, disappearances, and deaths—forms a tragic counterpoint to the beauty of the landscape, where herons, flamingos, and slender-billed curlews find refuge in the wetland delta. This sanctuary, internationally recognized and lawfully protected for its ecological significance, is also a silent witness to the human tragedy unfolding within its bounds.
Through the rhythm of migration and the symbolism of birds, Souls of a River eloquently connects natural cycles to human ones. Just as 77 species of rare birds rely on Evros as a place to rest and reproduce, so too do humans seek survival—a possibility to chance. The delicate choreography of these migratory birds juxtaposes against the often-violent journey of people moving across borders. Yet even nature’s respite cannot soothe the perils of this crossing—one that threatens not only human lives but also the moral credibility of those who enforce its passage.
Since 2010, about 300 people are attempting to cross the border daily, at high risk of their lives. If they make it through the river, they are exposed to death out of hypothermia. Although the interest of Krikellis is to unravel his personal story of migration from the region to Germany, Souls of a River exposes the quiet horrors and the surreal beauty of this land, asking us to reconsider the illegality attributed to the human body and legislation that turns an otherwise connecting ecosystem into a border of confinement. As long as Evros’s waters flow, so too will the river of lives caught in its currents—each one a testament to endurance, survival, and the relentless, tragic search for peace.
Souls of River was the 2023 winner of the Diagonale Grand Prize. Available online on Kino VOD Club and on AUT.
Written & Directed: Chris Krikellis / Cinematography: Judith Benedikt / Editing: Lisa Zoe Geretschläger / Music: Nikos Platyrachos / Sound: Dimitra Xeroutsikou, Lenka Mikulova, Nic Nagl / Sound Design: Veronika Hlawatsch / Producer: Peter Janecek / PLAESION Film + Vision e.U.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.