User reviews

"While you live, shine" is a unique piece of art having a major impact on your emotional status. The story of Chris and his research over folk Greek music of Epirus has at the end a universal meaning and importance due to the fact of treating music as a heritage element. The music reflects the past and maintaining all the aspects of it comes as a duty, cause in this way we can preserve our ethnic identity and furthermore aspire people who can scratch through the true listening the surface of a whole culture. I was fortunate to watch the premier of the film in Greece in Thessaloniki Doc Festival and discuss with the contributers of the documentary. So let your emotions guide you through the film and always consider what makes you the person you are today. Definitely a must watch

A mesmerizing look at the oldest known music in the Western world, through the eyes of a remarkable self-taught American musicologist. Having at first discovered recordings of the compositions on old 78 records, director Chris King travels to rural Epirus in Greece where he interviews locals and falls ever deeper into a magical land and culture. From educated youth from around the world to local shepherd boys, all participate in the ancient Paniyiri music festival. Participants start off prostrate on the ground in complete silence, then slowly rise to the sound of the lute and other age-old instruments. They proceed to dance trance-like until they achieve a state "where musician and dancer become one." Along the way, King delivers a powerful disquisition on the materialistic emptiness of modern American life and the importance of tradition, community and music to any society. His love for the music shoes through in every shot. If you let yourself really enter into these melodic, deeply soulful rhythms and the almost direct links to the beauty of traditions have survived seemingly unchanged since the Ancient World, you should experience a sense of deep satisfaction and yes, even joy. If you listen to what the filmmaker--and the music--is telling you, this important documentary could save you from wasting your time with self-help gurus so in vogue today.