Papagianni Chrysavgi holds a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo on 20th century film and literature. She specializes in film history and theory. and has taught internationally (SUNY Buffalo, Zayed University, University of Athens, University of Patras, and the Hellenic Open University). Her research focuses on women’s cinema, marginalized narratives, memory, and identity in global film. She has published in international journals and edited volumes, and she curates academic publications.
Note: A longer version of this article will be presented in a graduate seminar, next Fall at New York University Abu Dhabi.
With the title “Must Watch: The Most Meaningful Greek Short Film We Ever Wrote About,” Lia Pavlou writing for the Greek Reporter[i] highlighted the emotional impact of Jafar, a short film by Greek filmmaker Nancy Spetsioti, released in 2013. The film unfolds in a hospital waiting room where a Greek family shows overt prejudice toward a dark-skinned man, the titular character, Jafar. The film is only two and a half minutes long and yet it speaks volumes as it tackles themes of racism and xenophobia within Greek society in a poignant way. Through a series of visual cues and a powerful twist at the end, Spetsioti invites, or rather, I would say challenges viewers, both local and global, to confront their own biases and the societal structures that perpetuate discrimination
The film touched a chord with the audience as it becomes obvious from the millions of views it amassed online. Pavlou states that “the film that this last week went viral has almost 3.5 million views on Youtube.” ... More
Note: This article, which partially builds on the author’s doctoral research, forms part of a broader project, the findings of which have been presented at various academic conferences.
The systematic exclusion of women, especially women of color, from Hollywood’s gatekeeping institutions underscores the enduring dominance of white male perspectives in shaping not only American cinema but also the global narratives that are widely circulated and consumed. To put it differently, women’s marginalization in Hollywood reflects a wider global trend—a collective push across nations to reclaim storytelling power and assert control over visual representation beyond dominant and dominating film industries. Drawing on a combination of in-depth interviews and critical engagement with relevant literature, the article interrogates the complex intersections of gender and race that mediate access to power and visibility in the cinematic field. The analysis reveals that entrenched gendered and racialized hierarchies persist in shaping which narratives are legitimized, the modes through which they are conveyed, and the individuals authorized to tell them. ... More