Film at Webster Athens Highlights Greek-Georgian Ties

Greek and Georgian leadership, community representatives and Webster Athens students attend the film screening. Photo by Fotis Grivas.

Webster Athens Academic Affairs Department in collaboration with the Embassy of Georgia to the Hellenic Republic, hosted a screening of the documentary film “From Mani to Svaneti,” shedding light on the unique cultural and architectural connections between Greece and Georgia.  

The event, held at the Webster Athens Cultural Center in Aerides, Plaka — near the Tower of the Winds — drew a full audience of students, faculty, diplomats and members of Greek Georgian community and the public to explore a lesser-known historical connection: the remarkable similarities between the tower architecture of Mani, in southern Greece, and Svaneti, in the highlands of Georgia. 

Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Susie Michailidis, center, with members of the film’ production team, right, and Georgia Embassy representatives, left. Photo by Fotis Grivas.

“This collaboration with the Georgian Embassy reflects Webster’s ongoing commitment to cultural diplomacy and academic exchange,” said Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at Webster Athens Dr. Susie Michailidis. 

According to a March 27 post on the Embassy of Georgia in Greece’s Facebook page, the film project was developed by producer and author Nino Bajelidze, directed by Shalva Shengeli, and written by Lela Shengeli. The Embassy noted that the documentary underscores “the similarities between Georgia and Greece and the common characteristics of the two nations.” The event was organized under the Embassy’s auspices in partnership with Webster Athens. 

The Embassy’s Facebook statement also emphasized that the Athens screening “highlighted the value of cross-cultural exchange and the deep historical ties that can be found between geographically distant nations.” The Embassy thanked Webster Athens for supporting the initiative and noted the strong interest the film has already received in Georgia, where it was previously screened at the House of Cinema and the Georgian Academy of Sciences. 

Vatheia towers, Mani, Greece.  

Filmed in both Greece and Georgia since early 2024, the bilingual (Georgian-Greek) documentary traces the origins and parallels of tower construction in the two regions. Bajelidze, who conceived the project after visiting Vatheia village in Mani and recognizing its resemblance to Svaneti, realized her vision with financial support from the Georgian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture. 

Svaneti towers, Georgia.

As reported by Nostal GE, the region of Mani, located in Laconia on the Peloponnese Peninsula, is known for its tall, multi-story stone towers built between the 13th and 19th centuries. Initially constructed as fortifications against pirate raids and local conflicts, these towers can reach up to 20 meters in height. Their purpose and construction bear a striking resemblance to the famed Svan towers of Georgia, which were also built for defensive use and symbolized the wealth and strength of their owners. 

The cultural connection between these two regions was first identified in the 1970s by Greek researcher, architect and ethnographer Yannis Saitas, through the work of Austrian-American scholar Bernard Rudofsky, author of “Architecture Without Architects.” 

The documentary also features commentary from Georgian and Greek ethnographers, historians, architects and academics, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on this shared architectural heritage. 

Nostal GE is a Georgian-language cultural platform that highlights Georgia’s heritage and its historical and cultural ties with Greece, focusing on shared architecture, traditions, and diaspora connections. 

About Webster Athens  
Webster Athens is the only fully owned and accredited U.S. university campus in Greece, bringing the best of American education to the heart of Athens. Webster is a globally recognized American institution with a strong commitment to academic excellence, global citizenship, and cultural understanding. 

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