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'Crossings' presents the stories of migrants on their own terms, in ways that will feel both familiar and far away. Each story is unique, just one of a constellation of narratives produced by forced migration into Greece, from the Greeks of Smyrne to the current flows. Too often, these stories are recounted in parallel rather than placed in conversation with one another. Yearning to belong; dreaming for another future; remembering foresaken roots: these are some of the feelings articulated by those exiled to Greece. On the very border of Europe, Greece becomes the connecting land between East and West, giving rise to Pandora's box of emotions elicited by migration, movement and stuckedness. It is precisely because of this position that Greece is as it is: the rite of passage in pursuit of home.’
the films
Game Over dir. Saeed Mayahy 28:24’
In a basement in Istanbul a group of illegal Afghan teenage boys are determined to smuggle themselves into Europe – a utopia far away.
Ryan dir. Fridoon Joinda 4:06’
Ryan was persecuted due to her sexual orientation and had to flee her home country. Yet, being in Greece, she is still facing discrimination.
Before Now After dir. Xenia Tsilochristou 45:43’
The documentary excavates, records and interprets the unseen Asia Minor History of Leros which is emerging in the view of the modern man through the meeting of the past, the present and the expected future.
Only My Voice dir. Myriam Rey 11:27’
In transit through Athens, four women from the Middle East share their stories. Only their voices are heard. Stories of up-rootedness, contradictory sensations and personal experiences of freedom will gradually echo each other; resonating and interacting with the city of Athens.
We advocate for an international implementation of safe and legal passages. That is why, we are working towards screening ‘Crossings’ in London by the end of 2024. Today, there are practically no safe passages into Europe limiting border-crossings to experiences depicted in our curation. Instead, national and regional migration policies reinforce dangerous passages. In Greece, more than 2000 pushback incidents were recorded in the last three years (Efyn, 2024) including violently diverting rubber boats from reaching European shores. Moreover, as the UK’s new labour government resolves the Rwanda Bill, there is a conceived vacuum that has yet to be filled on ensuring the processing of migrants.