Takis: The man who from night club owner became a caretaker for strays becomes a documentary

Takis Proestakis from Ierapetra, Crete, became known worldwide as “Takis Shelter”, the name of the animal rescue he founded and continues to maintain. His incredible journey, along with the hardships of his daily routine, is documented in “Takis.”, a film featured in the Open Horizons section of the 27th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

“We tried to follow the life of a man with a specific daily routine and document the events that unfold around him,” says director Michalis Roubis in an interview. “What may seem ordinary to him was something extraordinary for us.”

After growing tired of the nightlife industry, Takis sold his nightclub. One day, he came across two abused dogs in a local landfill and started caring for them. As he kept discovering more and more abandoned animals in desperate need, he decided to create a shelter. Without support and against all odds, he took on increasing responsibilities, eventually going bankrupt.

Then, as he describes it, a miracle happened—his story went viral, and he became a symbol of hope. People from all over the world began making donations, while volunteers traveled from different countries to help him.

Today, Takis has created a model animal shelter, where over 2,500 rescued dogs have found safety, and 1,500 have been adopted, primarily abroad.

“Takis has spent his entire life at the shelter since its creation. He never takes a day off—except when he receives a rescue call, and even then, he only leaves to help an animal before returning to the shelter,” the director explains.

For 16 days, the filming process followed a repetitive yet deeply meaningful daily routine. “Recording the same kind of events over and over creates both an advantage and a challenge. On one hand, you have a structured pattern to follow, but on the other, you must carefully choose what to include in the final documentary,” explains director Michalis Roubis.

Beyond documenting Takis’ daily life, the film also explores the challenges he faces, particularly in shifting local attitudes toward stray animals. It delves into the broader issue of stray management in Greece and the limitations of relying solely on shelters as a solution.

“Takis has become the go-to person for any animal-related issue. Because of his strong connection with animals and the community’s growing trust in him, whenever a problem arises, people instinctively think, ‘Call Takis.’ We witnessed this happening firsthand and explored how he deals with it,” the director emphasizes.

The documentary clearly highlights how severe the stray animal problem would be in a small community like Ierapetra if “Takis Shelter” didn’t exist—implying that in larger cities, the issue is exponentially worse.