While You Live, Shine

While You Live, Shine is a thought-provoking and transformative documentary released in 2018, featuring American musicologist Chris King. This film is a melodic journey that introduces and unfolds the authenticity and endurance of an almost forgotten world of music, nestled deep in the southern regions of Europe.

Director Paul Duane masterfully captures King's absorbing quest to seek out and preserve the last strains of a rich musical culture that predates Christianity, a form that has survived, almost intact, in the remote mountainous region of Epirus in Northern Greece. King, acclaimed for his work in hunting, preserving, and restoring old 78rpm records of early American folk, blues, and country music, is portrayed as a humble music devotee that stumbles on something mystical and captivating that changes his perspective about music and life itself.

The title itself, "While You Live, Shine," represents the essence of the film's focus: an ancient Greek song refrain, “Eternal while you live, shine,” that emphasizes the importance of living life to its fullest while one has the chance. In this context, the documentary unravels the Krasi, Thalassa & Patates or Wine, Sea & Potatoes party, an annual folk music festival that takes place in Epirus. These traditional festivals are a significant social event where music, dance, and unrestrained joyfulness intertwine, allowing the community to connect with their cultural heritage and celebrate life.

The movie not only explores the musical fascination of Chris King but also dives into various elements of humanity. This includes the profound connection that the people of Epirus have with their music and how the music is affiliated with their feelings, experiences, and intricate expressions of life. The simple and powerful rhythms are represented not just as entertainment, but as a spiritual journey, a soulful connection.

Duane's visual storytelling, accompanied by the otherworldly traditional music, offers a unique cinematic experience, drawing the audience into a world sequestered by the peaks of mountains, where time seems to stand still, and music narrates the tale of generations. The film is constructed as a blend of travelogue, musical discovery, and character journey focusing on the curious and dedicated journey of a proven musicologist. Yet, it transcends being merely a personalized tale and emerges into a broader exploration of the power and importance of music in human culture.

While You Live, Shine ensures the viewers feel that this journey is not just King's but theirs as well, creating an intimate bond between the audience, the music, and the community of Epirus. This documentary presents King, not merely as a protagonist or a leading figure but as a vehicle to display the timelessness and universality of music.

Cinematographically, the film is a visual delight that captures the raw and rustic beauty of Epirus. The scenes skillfully oscillate between the picturesque landscapes, the intricacies involved in record hunting and restoration, vibrant and energetic folk festivals, quiet emotional moments related to music, and Chris King's personal contemplations.

The enchanting journey of Chris King in "While You Live, Shine" is bound to leave audiences inspired and amazed by the endurance and authenticity of this near-extinct music form, and its profound relation to life. Though it may be geographically located in Greece, the film reminds us that the rich tradition of music can resonate beyond borders or cultures and reach the depths of humanity. It reaffirms the beauty and importance of preserving our cultural heritage and emphasizes why these traditions should truly live and shine. Whatever the genre of music may be, Chris King's unique journey of exploration and preservation is a tribute to music and its transformative power that echoes across generations and geographical boundaries.