Cin̩ priv̩: film art РWorld Refugee Day. Greek Diary

Greek Diary (c) Clément Martz

One focus of our film art programme is, among other things, the coexistence of people, their confrontation with conflict situations. Circumstances of need that contribute to revolts and war are examined, as well as personal and social constraints and sensitivities that individuals have to deal with in their own lives and as world inhabitants in a threatened natural environment. All of these sensitivities are examined by directors in a cheerful, serious, ironic, sad, sentimental, instructive, disturbing or constructive way and want to contribute to meaningful communication and empathic understanding.

The World Day of Migrants and Refugees or World Refugee Day will take place on 20 June 2021. It is a commemorative day first proclaimed in 1914 by Pope Benedict XV with the decree Ethnografica studia under the impression of the First World War, and has been held annually since then. Since 2001, 20 June has been celebrated as World Refugee Day. Before that, many countries had celebrated their own national Refugee Days. For example, Pope Benedict XV first proclaimed World Migrant and Refugee Day in 1914 (also known as “World Refugee Day” for short), which has been held annually ever since.

Documentary film by Heinz Trenczak

In August 2016, Graz-based director Heinz Trenczak, together with private helpers and his video camera, visited three refugee camps outside Austria: one near Å id (Serbia) and two near Thessaloniki (Greece). The group – Jenny Chapman, Wolfgang Feigl and Marian Nindler – had the goal of supporting two families who had fled Syria and whom Jenny had previously assisted in Idomeni.

In Thessaloniki, Clément Martz was already waiting for the team, a French photojournalist who lives in Sweden and has developed from a fashion photographer into a dedicated photojournalist focusing on refugees and the search for protection. Finally, Andreas Polegeg from Graz joined the group; he came to Thessaloniki via Italy in his old camper van.

“Greek Diary”, a spin-off from the long-term project “3400 Semmeln – Flüchtlinge. Helpers. Menschen.”, is a documentary-essayistic road movie and was co-produced by Vis-à-vis Film with the Styrian Society for Cultural Policy and supported by the Bank für Gemeinwohl and the Cultural Department of the City of Graz.

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