ANACHOMA
COMING SOON
Synopsis
Anachoma is an independent documentary project dealing with the clandestine practice of Pushbacks alongside the Evros-Meric River, constituting the Greek-Turkish Land Border, and thus, “the border of hope” for many refugees and migrants who try to cross into Europe every year. The film unfolds by telling the story of how the Evros-Meric river itself got weaponized following the 2020’s “March Events” from where we get to know the stories of 12 Pushback survivors and the depiction of their journeys. The narrative is accompanied by expert commentary of Human Rights Lawyers, UNHCR staff, Researchers, Investigative Journalists, numerous NGO Representatives, Members of European Parliament, as well as locals from both sides of the border. In total, the filmmakers collected more than 30 interviews and constructed the entire anatomy of a dubious practice, from apprehension point till collective expulsion and its aftermath. Furthermore, the film was shot on 16 different locations, reaching from Thessaloniki to Istanbul.
Stills
Background
Pushbacks along the Evros
Pushbacks are a clandestine practice used to immediately deport new arrivals from a country. In the process, authorities disregard any formal criteria infringed in International, EU and member state law including: The Right to Appeal for Asylum, Access to Reception Facilities, Due process, Due diligence and the Principle of Non-Refoulement. Furthermore, the actions by which the procedures are executed breach the prohibition of Collective expulsion, Torture, Theft and Degrading treatment.
According to an investigation by El Pais and Solomon, it is estimated that over the years, more than 2 million Euros have been confiscated from border crossers in the region. Furthermore, referring to our interview with Coroner Pavlos Pavlidis, over 660 people died on the Greek side alone. These casualties, more often than not, arise due to hypothermia, drowning, or succumbing to injuries. Additionally, taking into account the amount of people still undiscovered, the real number is most likely well above the current figure.
To name just one of the incidents, back in February 2022, 19 people froze to death during a snowstorm next to Ipsala due to the fact that the Greek authorities robbed them of their money, phones and clothing. Left to their fate, they beat them and threw them in the river. With no chance to call for help, find shelter, and unable to walk to the closest village because of their injuries, 19 men were found collapsed on the edge of a muddy road wearing nothing more than their underwear.
Thus to say the least, the conditions by which Greece, and by extension the EU, operate their external borders are deeply concerning. To quote Lena Karamanidou (a researcher interviewed in the film):
“Fundamental Rights violations are not accidents that occur out of mistakes at the border... They are part of the policy”.
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Media appearance
Team
Philip Pollak
Director & Co-Producer
Founder & Editor of KOMPROMISSZUM
Philip holds a double master degree from The United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), where he studied Public Policy & Human Development specialising in Migration. His thesis: “The River of Ghosts” also dealt with the Evros. In addition to KOMPROMISSZUM, Philip has been working with media outlets such as: The Europeans, Koiné Journal, OmniaTV, Mada Masr and many others. Before starting this project Philip worked at the European Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Brussels.
Johanna Walk
Producer
Content creator / Activist
A multifaceted professional dedicated to storytelling, social justice, and humanitarian work. She holds two degrees in Political Science and Communication Science, specializing in journalism. Currently she collaborates with SOS Balkanroute, where her role involves creating informative videos for social media platforms, and contributing to advocacy efforts on behalf of refugees in the region. During her studies, Johanna completed a video journalism internship with Afghan journalists in exile, gaining valuable experience in visual storytelling and media impact on socio-political issues.
Phevos Simeonidis
Archive Producer
Phevos Simeonidis is an OSINT & audiovisual forensics researcher and an archivist. He is an MA graduate from the Centre for Research Architecture, a researcher and investigative partner of OmniaTv and The Manifold, and the former director and co-founder of Disinfaux Collective in Athens, Greece. He is currently a PhD candidate at Durham University, SGIA, and he has been a frequent collaborator of -among others- Forensic Architecture and Lighthouse Reports, with his work focusing on far/alt-right narrative creation and performativity online, militarized border regimes and surveillance, and human rights violations in the external borders of the EU.
X: @phesimeonid
Tom Hoša
Editor
Born 1973 in Vienna. Started 1997 as a Television editor. Freelancing director, producer and editor since 2003. Worked on numerous concert films, videoclips, commercials, imagefilms and documentaries. Music videos for Kid Pex, Falco Band, Bernhard Rabitsch, Stefan Weber, Monomania, The 05, Heinz aus Wien, GuGabriel, Hacklerberry Pi & Die Faulen Kompromisse and many others. Received triple platinum and gold awards as the director of the DVDs “Falco Symphonic” and “Falco Donauinsel Live – Anniversary Edition” (both Sony BMG). Lives and works in Vienna. vimeo.com/tomhosa
Alina Karre
Animator
Born 1995 in Vienna. During 6 years of living in Leipzig & Berlin, studied industrial design and did scenography for indie movies and photoshootings. Worked for the past 2 years as self-taught graphic designer. Contributed designs for event-flyers, stickers, banners or social media for collectives/organizations like catcallsof.vie (activism against street harassment), W.A.V.E. (women against violence europe) and AwA* (awareness & educational work).
Instagram: @al0phie
Réka Novák
Animator
Réka Novák currently studies social design at die Angewandte in Vienna. She has a background in media art and has been working with interactive multimedia installations and video projects. She is interested in making culture more accessibile and participative. Besides her artistic work she is getting deeper involved in the infrastructure of self-organized spaces and cultural organizing.
Máté Gados
Score
Máté Gados is a Literature Analysis student from Hungary. His interest in music began 17 years ago when he started learning to play the guitar, then really took off when he started making music at the age of 13. Over the years, he has experimented in multiple styles of electronic music and some acoustic music as well. Máté has performed in some larger venues in Hungary, such as Durer Kert and A38, and released his first standalone project titled Budapest in early 2023 on Spotify and Apple Music, with another EP and LP in the works. He can be found on Soundcloud where he regularly uploads demos and in-progress songs from his other projects.
Basilia Guadalupe
Head of Social Media
Basilia is a visual artist and a specialist in content creation and digital marketing. She holds a degree in Communication Sciences from San Andrés University in Buenos Aires Argentina. At the beginning of her career, she conducted seminars on the creation and management of cultural projects for literature teachers nationwide on behalf of the Ministry of Education in Argentina. After that, she entered the field of content and digital marketing, working with advertising agencies, government entities, and non-profit foundations.
In addition to her work as a communicator, she also pursued a career in visual arts and became a painter. Throughout the years, she has received various recognitions for her artistic work. Currently, she is pursuing an MBA in Cultural Industries at Complutense de Madrid University.
Bastien Deschamps
Photography for Artwork
Bastien Deschamps is a wandering photographer born in Paris in 1990. In 2018 he received a scholarship from the Wall Street Journal to study at the International Center of Photography (ICP) and graduated from the Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program in 2019. In 2020 he started the project: “Where the Border Runs: Tales from the River Sides” Tales from the River Sides, a long-term geopoetic journey along border rivers within the world. Articulated in five chapters, this project will follow different border rivers in the world, focusing on both their specificities and common issues. He is currently working on the second chapter along the Maroni river in French Guiana.
László Bukai
Website
Born in Nové Zámky, Slovakia. Studied Informatics and Information Technologies at Slovak University of Technology. Editor of the Kompromisszum.com website.
Yaman Attar
Translator
Yaman is an action researcher who joined ANACHOMA as a translator. Due to his extensive personal encounters with the integration policies of the Netherlands, alongside his deep theoretical grasp of the subject matter, he has established himself as a specialist in the field. Additionally Yaman also holds a double master's degree in Public Policy and Human Development, with a specific focus on Migration Studies. Yaman thus combines academic expertise and firsthand insights to refine his perspective and accomplish his primary objective: comprehending the inner workings of the situation observed and providing the utmost depth to the subject matter. LinkedIn
Derin Erenoğlu
Archive Producer
Originally from Istanbul, Derin Erenoğlu currently studies Sociology as well as Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna. She has researched different migration routes and has volunteered in the Calais Jungle. Besides her interest in topics ranging from migration and identity, Derin has directed and produced a short documentary called "The Loophole Keepers" about the global waste trade and her articles have been published in the Turkish daily newspaper Habertürk.
Contact us under:
Partners
Co-Releasing Partners:
Kompromisszum; Human Stories; Migrant Tales; Millenna; OktoTV; OmniaTv
Promoting Partners:
Subjective Values Foundation; United for Intercultural Action.
Office & Venue Space:
4lthangrund