Good Neighbours

Kastelorizo, also known as Megisti, is a small frontier island located in the Eastern Aegean Sea, less than 1.5 nautical miles off the shores of Turkey and 72 nautical miles east of the Greek island of Rhodes. According to the official census, its population is less than 500 people.

The island's long history can be traced back to prehistoric times, for which there are remains that speak of a developed civilization. During the Middle Ages, after having been occupied by the Knights Hospitaller, it became a place of exile. In that period it was renamed as "Kastelorizo", a corruption of the Italian "Castello Rosso" (Red Castle). As Kastelorizo came under Turkish occupation, it gradually became a prosperous center of commercial navigation. After the 1821 Greek Revolution, the island was disputed between the French, the Italian and the English and was finally united with Greece in 1947, after many lootings and the massive emigrations, but also returns, of its inhabitants.

Today, the island is once again a cause of controversy between Greece and Turkey. The issues of air and sea border violations and the designation of the Exclusive Economic Zone in this borderline point of the Aegean Sea create a climate of provocation between the two countries and stress the need to settle differences. Kastelorizo, an eternal symbol of Greece's encounter with other civilizations, is once again the point of reference for the redefinition of the country's relations with Turkey, while, at the same time, its inhabitants still safeguard its long history.

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?

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.