A 14-Hour All-Night Vigil at Xenophontos

At the Monastery of Xenophontos on the western coast of Mount Athos, the feast of Saint George means an all-night vigil: fourteen hours of chant, liturgy and prayer, from dusk to dawn.

Vasilis Bitsis' camera stays inside the church all night and records the rhythm of Athonite worship — the Byzantine chant, the candlelight, the endurance of the monks. A rare look into the heart of monastic life.

Directed, filmed, produced and written by Vasilis Bitsis. Narration: Apostolos Staikos. Editing: Giannis Dolas. Originally produced for euronews.