Passage to Home is one of those stories that is both unique and universal.
Point Cook filmmaker Aaron Cilmi’s seven-minute documentary about his grandparents’ journey from Greece to Australia started as a university assignment, but is now screening across the globe.
On Wednesday, May 7, the short film was showcased at the Touchstone Independent Film Festival in Florida.
Three days later, it screened a little closer to home – the Setting Sun International Film Festival in Yarraville.
Currently studying in The Netherlands, Cilmi said he still can’t wrap his head around the momentum the film has gained.
“Going from a university assignment to being screened internationally still blows my mind,” he said.
Turns out condensing the journey of a lifetime into a seven-minute video is no easy task.
“This was one of the hardest parts post-production– I had roughly 90 minutes of pure interview footage with them.”
“To try and go through it all and create a compelling story without undermining their past was really challenging.
“It was a little confronting to hear about what their lives were like and how little they had in Greece after the war.”
“I gained a new level of respect and appreciation for the decision they made.”
Sixty years after his grandparents left Europe, Cilmi says he expects it to screen at several festivals across the continent later in the year.
To watch: youtu.be/OvgGGR2E4P8?feature=shared
