VIDEO: Ode To Lesvos – Full Film. Produced by Anomaly & directed by Talal Derki for Johnnie Walker.
“Their enduring positivity, readiness to help, and, above all, humanity remind the world that it is possible to make tomorrow better than today”, Talal Derki
In 2015, Lesvos – a Northern island in the Aegean Sea – became the centre of attention when thousands of refugees arrived running away from a war-torn country. Some of them died while trying to escape in the sea and others survived after receiving generous and warm-hearted support from the locals. For their efforts, a few of them were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier in 2016.
Inspired by their altruism, Diageo owned whisky brand, Johnnie Walker & creative agency Anomaly teamed up with Marcy Corps for ‘Ode To Lesvos’ – a short documentary dedicated to the Greek islanders who helped and provided shelter, water, clothes and food to thousands of refugees regardless of the fact they live in a country which is still in the midst of a financial crisis.
Directed by Sundance award-winning filmmaker Talal Derki, the documentary presents 4 different stories of 6 people who talk about their experiences and refer to what we call ‘heroism’ as a normal, human thing to do towards the ones who suffer.
The film debuted last week on the International Day of Peace as part of Johnnie Walker’s Storyline initiative. The Scotch whisky brand supports Mercy Corps on their mission to save peoples’ lives affected by conflict, crisis and natural disasters.