The idea of a “naked” Santorini seems nearly unfathomable. How could one of the largest tourist islands appear anything other than crowded, bustling with masses of foreign visitors?
During its peak months from April to October, the island welcomes thousands of day visitors from cruise ships, adding to the thousands of overnight tourists already present.
But during the in-between months, which bring slightly colder and “moodier” weather patterns, tourism waves slow down.
New York City-based Boston native and digital content creator Tony Kariotis took note of this trend. He tells The Pappas Post that he wanted to capitalize by shooting a new film.
“I never knew where I would shoot a film like this until I decided to visit Greece in the winter of 2020,” Kariotis says. “I’ve never seen what winter is like in Greece. But I saw the opportunity to possibly make a film like this come to fruition, and Santorini came to mind immediately.”
(Photo courtesy of Tony Kariotis)
Kariotis, whose Instagram accounts @greece and @iamgreece have reached nearly 100,000 combined followers, wanted to showcase one of the most photographed and social media-glorified islands — but from a new perspective.
The result? His multi-episode film series “Naked Santorini.”
“As a creator, shooting a film like ‘Naked Santorini’ is something I always dreamed of — a film where no one is talking, except for nature,” Kariotis says. “I used to love watching these sort of films where cameras are positioned somewhere like a beach, and you just lose yourself watching and hearing the waves.”
Each of his three episodes run between 15 and 20 minutes and focus on a different aspect of the island during its winter down time. Such aspects include exploring the island’s northern town of Oia, capturing sounds and views of the Aegean Sea and hiking from the central town of Fira to Imerovigli under “moody” weather conditions.
Kariotis says the trip was extremely rewarding in the end despite facing difficulties to reach the island.
“Getting to Santorini was an extreme challenge,” he says. “It took four ferry tickets, as the first three were cancelled due to extreme wind and rain in the Aegean. But when I got there, the weather was perfect.”
Watch the three episodes of “Naked Santorini” below. The filmmaker recommends using a full-sized TV or laptop screen for optimal viewing.
Episode 1: Oia in the Winter
Episode 2: Sounds & Views of the Sea
Episode 3: “Moody” Tour From Fira to Imerovigli
