Lesvia / Λεσβία

On the Greek island of Lesbos, there lies the village of Eresos, which became a random retreat spot for the queer community for a few decades. Since the 1970s, lesbians from all over the world have found not only refuge there but also an unexpected dominance over the heteronormative population. "Here, we are the normal ones…" recalls one of the protagonists about this unique point in time and space, where the male gaze on a woman’s body temporarily lost dominance. Drawing from her own experience, director Tzeli Hadjidimitriou maps out the structures of queer identity formation, as well as the unexpected effects of lesbian tourism on the local population. Through in-depth interviews and authentic period footage, she captures both the wildness and the drama of this little-known chapter of LGBTQ+ history. This colorful mosaic of personal stories creates a collective memory of sunlit beaches on Lesbos and fearless touches of women’s bodies.