Eleonas Camp
Eleonas Refugee Camp
Eleonas Refugee Camp
is located in the middle of an industrial area between Athens and the port of Pireas. We had first gotten a glimpse of the camp during our visit to Tavro School #2, which is nearby and which accepts children from Eleonas camp. At the time, however, we had no permission to enter, so what we saw of the inside was minimal. The area outside is notable primarily for the bleakness of the neighborhood and the dust and noise of a constant stream of trucks passing down the narrow road in front of the camp gate. Inside, nearly 2000 residents (as of June, 2017) from a variety of countries live in the specially-adapted container-sized units common to most refugee camps in Greece. Each unit consists of a small room at either end and a bathroom in the middle. Often two families of up to 4 persons each will share a single unit, although at Eleonas the crowding appears to have decreased somewhat over time. A small fridge and sink in one corner serve as kitchen, and food preparation is done on the floor. Many families have been in Eleonas (and other camps) for well over a year, at this point.
We visited Eleonas Camp on June 6th and 7th. Zaphiri had been working on getting us permission to film in Eleonas since February, apparently to no avail. Suddenly, just days before the end of our shooting schedule, we received the go-ahead directly from Greek Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mazoulas. This allowed us to spend 2 full days at Eleonas, talking with staff, NGO representatives and residents.
Blogs about Eleonas Camp
May 15- The Journey Begins
At the beginning of February I got a phone call from my friend Bill Megalos in Los Angeles, asking me if I would like to make a documentary with him, about the refugees in Greece. I've known Bill since 1989, when I worked as his assistant for four years. We've stayed...