Onassis Channel | Roma Unmediated

The Roma community, diverse and intricate, with a long-standing presence in the Greek region and a particular contribution to culture, remains ostracized. Ostracized from the urban fabric, education, work, health services, and the judicial system. This is a social group that faces many and multiple forms of discrimination.

The Greek state itself, through actions or omissions, is systematically violating the rights of Roma people. Due to this, it has been heavily criticized and reprimanded by international organizations, while it has been occasionally condemned by the European Court of Human Rights. Antigypsyism, itself a manifestation of racial sentiment against Roma people based on racial supremacy and aided by prejudices, is institutional, as well as of social origins; a feedback loop that produces stereotypes, violence, and suffering.

The recent murders of 18-year-old Roma Nikos Sampanis and 16-year-old Roma Kostas Fragoulis by policemen, the political and social tolerance bordering on approval with which they were framed, revealed in the most painful manner the fundamental devaluing of the lives of Roma people. Respectively, the death of 8-year-old Olga at a factory in Keratsini, under conditions of absolute negligence, evinced that the current dehumanization strategy against Roma people exerts a corrosive effect on social conscience.

In this framework, the Onassis Stegi chooses to organize a discussion centered around the problems, as well as the capacities of the Roma community, providing the very members of this community a space and a floor to speak. To let the story be told by its very subjects, about their sorrow and pride, about their frustrations and demands. A portal of encounter, towards a perspective of inclusivity on the grounds of recognizing and accepting linguistic and cultural differences, equality, conversation, and justice.

* The quote comes from a discussion between English film director Ken Loach and French writer Édouard Louis, as published in the book “Dialogue on Art and Politics” (original title in French: “Dialogue sur l'art et la politique”), translated and published in Greek by Antipodes Publications (2021).

Episode Script & Research: Maria Louka, Pasqua Vorgia

Production Coordination & Management: Pasqua Vorgia

Artistic Direction: Christos Sarris

Content Management: Elizampetta Ilia-Georgiadou

Content Advisor: Alexandra Karagianni

Video Production Coordination: Smaragda Dogani

Video Line Production: Angeliki Avgeri

Motion Graphics Artistic Overview: Constantinos Chaidalis

Animation: Zina Papadopoulou, Ovalimage Animation & Design

Translation & Subtitling: Authorwave

Subtitles Editing: Vassilis Douvitsas

Music Score: Kostadis

Still Photographer: Pavlos Fysakis

Featuring (in alphabetic order):

Katerina Dimitriou, Giannis Georgiou, Alexandra Karagianni, Vassilis Pantzos, Tasia Sabani, Yannis Sabanis, Paraskevi Vilanaki

Moderated by Giorgos Vilanakis

Greek Sign Language Interpretation: Sophia Roboli

Produced by Stavros Petropoulos, Leonidas Konstantarakos

Directed by Stavros Petropoulos

Line Production: Alaska Films

Director of Photography: Yannis Kanakis

Camera: Ivan Ziovas, Vangelis Lainas, Xenofon Vardaros

Sound Recording: Iasonas Theophanou

Editor: Katerina Rekka

Production Manager: Dimitris Kourtis

Production Coordination: Olympia Kaltsa

Production Assistants: Kostas Antarahas, Smaragda Karaberi

Voice Over Recording: Bounce

Voice Over: Iro Bezou

Sound Mix: Iasonas Theophanou

Color: Yannis Kanakis

Outdoor Filming

Camera: Dimitris Michalakis

Sound: Giorgos Harisis

Onassis Stegi

Deputy Director of Culture: Dimitris Theodoropoulos

PR Executive: Alexandra Chrysanthakopoulou

Communication & Content Department

Group Communication & Content Manager: Demetres Drivas

Content Leader: Alexandros Roukoutakis

Head of Creative: Christos Sarris

Campaign Manager: Elisavet Pantazi

Onassis Media Office: Vasso Vasilatou, Katerina Tamvaki, Nefeli Tsartaklea-Kasselaki

Social Media: Vasilis Bibas, Sylvia Kouveli, Alexandra Sarantopoulou

Onassis Culture Technical Department

Technical Director: Lefteris Karabilas

Deputy Technical Director: Giannis Dovas

Stage Manager: Katerina Kotsou

Lighting Technician: Pavlos Pappas

Onassis Stegi Head of Theater Mechanics: Iakovos Darzentas

Sound Recording: Thodoris Tsachalos

Onassis Stegi Head of Sound Technicians: Alexis Politis

Video Technician: Stratos Toganidis

Gaffer: Kyriakos Xanthopoulos

Line Production: Julia Stamouli

The new episode on Roma people belongs to “Society Uncensored” series of digital discussions, initiated by the Onassis Stegi in 2020 as a vital need to discuss without censorship everything that concerns us in the ‘here and now’, on a local and global level. With more than 550,000 views on the Onassis Channel on YouTube, the discussions have provoked comments and reactions, raise awareness and sensitize, while opening a productive dialogue in the physical and digital spaces.

The focal point of the episodes is the round table, where people meet to discuss openly and unequivocally on current and critical issues of the era and Greek society, while the discussions are further complemented with audiovisual material, interviews, and statistical data collected from the ONASSIS STEGI team in collaboration with international bodies.

Free of censorship, representatives from active organizations, members of the academic and artistic community, of the fields of activism and civil society, of journalism, research, legal representation and governance, take a stand on critical and current social and political issues of the time and place.

“Society Uncensored” is series of deep and sincere discussions that highlight significant aspects of our social life, in an open and accessible to all digital platform of exchange and productive dialogue with social and educational purposes. It was launched in order to let a plethora of ‘voices’ be heard, with the aim of diffusing different opinions, reflecting and raising awareness on overarching social issues, as they emerge through the current state of affairs, the public debates in social and traditional media, but our everyday life as well.