Spinning the Wheels

The drive is long, the night is endless, and the loneliness unbearable. The challenges of life on the road are both adventurous and rewarding.

Greece depends heavily on road transport for the export and import of goods and Greek professionals enjoy a good reputation abroad. However, for professional automobilists things become increasingly harder, as the system for the acquisition of professional licenses is changing under the pressure of the grave economic crisis that is sweeping the country.

Following a professional truck driver on his journey from Athens to Madrid, we share the dangers of the road, his anxiety to reach his destination on time, as well as the pleasure of chasing the open horizon and the casual conversations with characters along the way. Accidents lurk anywhere along the ever-changing landscapes, and the choreography of his drive will determine whether or not he will get there on time and in once piece.

Total Concession

Giona is located in the prefecture of Fokida. With an altitude of 2,150 meters, it is the highest mountain in Central Greece and one of the highest ones in the country.

Giona is home to one of the richest and most unique ecosystems in Southern Europe: a great part of its flora and fauna has yet to be extensively studied. Some of the species belonging to its ecosystem are already considered rare and are on the verge of extinction. The ecosystem has been considered a protected area of natural beauty and belongs to the NATURA 2000 network.

Giona's subsoil contains large bauxite deposits, which have been unearthed during the past seventy years through mines constructed at the foot of the mountain, greatly affecting the mountain's environment as well as the everyday life of its locals. Big companies with a "total concession" get to exploit the area, under the pretext of supporting the local labor market. On the other hand are the initiatives of the concerned locals who struggle for the mountain's salvation. An uneven fight, not only for survival, but also for life itself.

Hidden Crescent

Muslims in Greece originate from a range of different countries but have a very strong common element that unites them: their religion.

In Athens alone, it is estimated that there are approximately 750.000 Muslims, a number that has increased exponentially over the past 10 years. Athens is also the only European capital without a single mosque for Muslims to practice their faith. They currently congregate to worship in all sorts of different places, from underground garages to empty warehouses.

Even more pressing though is the lack of a cemetery. The bodies of their beloved dead are either buried in Christian cemeteries, far from Athens in the region of Thrace-where a Greek Muslim population exists-or sent back to their country of origin, a very expensive and time-consuming process.

The Greek state has made several promises to construct both a Mosque in Votanicos and a cemetery in Schisto, acknowledging Muslims their religious rights. However recent xenophobic tendencies and swelling nationalistic pride have stalled the process adding to the frustration and anticipation.

Will the Crescent finally find its place in Athens or will it remain hidden in the dark?