Great music crosses generations

A Family Affair is an intimate and intoxicating portrait of the renowned Xylouris family, who have been maintaining the musical traditions of their native Crete for generations. Following three generations of the family – legendary Psarantonis, his son George and George’s children Nikos, Adonis and Apollonia – the film moves between Greece and Melbourne where the children now live, study and play.

As the three children find new freedom in Australia, they remain devoted to upholding the music of their homeland, while also striving to find their own voices. A Family Affair reveals how this age-old and vibrant musical tradition is passed on from generation to generation and across national boundaries. It explores the redemptive but also the restrictive power of a strong family, while giving intimate insights into the process of creating of music.

The film is a portrait of family life, influence and legacy, as well as a thrilling examination of an incredible musical tradition, culminating in mind-blowing performances of all three generations at Womadelaide and Melbourne’s Forum Theatre. Stunning photography of the Cretan and Australia landscapes serves to illustrate and parallel the bonds that we see being made, and tested throughout the journey.

A Family Affair won the Best Feature Documentary Awards at the Hellenic Film Awards in Greece this year, and the prestigious FIPA d’Or award for Best Performing Arts Film in Biarritz, France.

George is presently touring the world to great acclaim with Jim White of The Dirty Three, as Xylouris White.