City symphony is an observational documentary that records moments of everyday life in the town of Corfu before the Covid 19 pandemic. Produced as an undergraduate project by Xanthos Tsafalopoulos for the course History, Theory and Practice of Documentary under the supervision of Chalkou Maria during 2020 2021, the film adopts a quiet, attentive camera presence to reveal people and routines without overt intervention.

The work follows the observational tradition, employing natural light, close-up shots that linger on expressions and gestures, and wider framings that situate individuals within the urban soundscape. Location sound and on-site conversations act as primary narrative material, intentionally avoiding voiceover and added music so the viewer constructs meaning from the interplay of faces, movements and ambient noises.

Editing functions like a conductor linking small everyday acts into a rhythmic sequence, exposing social practices, habitual encounters and subtle rituals across Corfu s streets and squares. As a student documentary it foregrounds practical aspects of the form: shot selection, timing, ethical proximity to subjects and the city itself as a character. The finished piece offers a careful, human-scale portrait of life just before the social rupture of the pandemic.