ALBGREKO | Ilir Tsouko

With selections and awards at major documentary festivals—such as the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (2025), the Tirana International Film Festival (2025), the Chania Film Festival (2025), and DocFest–Chalkida Greek Documentary Festival (2025)— Ilir Tsouko’s “ALBGREKO” will be screened at the Upper Stage of the Onassis Stegi on Wednesday, January 21, in the presence of the director and the film’s contributors.

Denisa Bairaktari, Dimitris Kapouranis, Stefania Κosta, and Orestis Shqau recount their lived experiences as children and grandchildren of Albanian migrants from the 1990s, born and raised in Greece. Not the experience of migration in general, but their own personal story. A story that is neither only Albanian nor only Greek. It is both.

Something new, something pure and hopeful is emerging from this generation. At a time when identity wars are raging around the world and, of course, in Europe and the Balkans, Ilir Tsouko’s camera sheds light on multiple identities not as burdens of history, but as compasses pointing toward a better future.

The screening will be followed by a discussion on Greek-Albanian identity, featuring the director, the four leading participants in the documentary, and the film’s scientific advisor and co-screenwriter, Dimitris Christopoulos. The discussion will be moderated by filmmaker and poet Brikena Gishto.

The evening will conclude with a DJ set by Leart Rama [blissblissbliss/RKS], featuring sounds that combine analog instruments, field recordings, and electronic textures, exploring issues of identity, memory, and migration.

21:00 | Film Screening

21:30 – 22:30 | Post-screening panel discussion on Greek-Albanian identity

Featuring:

-Dimitris Christopoulos, scientific advisor, screenwriter

-Ilir Tsouko, film director

-And all four interviewees who appear in the film: Denisa-Lydia Bairaktari, Dimitris Kapouranis, Orestis Shqau, Stefania Κosta

Moderator: Brikena Gishto, film director and poetess

22:30 – 23:00 | Music and drinks at Bar 107, on the ground floor of Onassis Stegi

23:00 | A DJ set by Leart Rama [blissblissbliss/RKS] at Bar 107, on the ground floor of Onassis Stegi

“This film began as an exploration of the lives of young people who move between two worlds. The children of Albanian migrants in Greece are more than just their inherited past; they represent a new narrative of belonging and identity. Through the voices of Denisa, Dimitris, Stefania, and Orestis, we sought to reveal stories that transcend the archetypal labels of ‘Albanian’ or ‘Greek.’ These young people have woven their own lived experiences into something unique—both Albanian and Greek, yet also something completely new and hopeful. At a time when identity wars are shaping the political and social landscape across Europe and the Balkans through division, this documentary challenges the idea that identities must be linked to competition (conflict or division). Instead, it celebrates the diversity that emerges from embracing multiple identities. This film is our tribute to a generation that exists in between, refusing to be confined by borders, whether geographical or cultural. It is a journey of resilience, hope, and the forging of a new, uncharted sense of belonging.”