The Journalists and Writers Foundation organized a virtual launch of the documentary “The River” as a livestream event at JWF YouTube Channel on July 28, 2020. The event started with the launch of 10 minutes video clip from “The River” directed by the Journalist Thomas Sideris from Greece. Following the documentary, the virtual discussion focused on the recent refugee crisis in the Balkans.

The discussion was moderated by award-winning Photographer and Associate Professor Alex Morel from the St. John`s University in New York. The researcher and the Director of the film, Thomas Sideris, answered respective questions of Alex Morel on “The River” and the escalating refugee crisis.

From Idlib in Northern Syria to the Hungarian-Slovenian border, THE RIVER covers refugee flows and populations moving in the Balkan region over the past eight years. With the “Evros River” in focus, this human river wanders in space and time, faces police violence, fences and is under constant surveillance by thermal cameras. The human river survives defenseless in the hosting and identification structures behind the barbed wire. Regardless of all the obstacles, this river of hope does not cease to give refugees an opening door to a new beginning.