Pongo Calling
Štefan Pongo is a Roma lorry driver. Fifteen years ago, he emigrated from the Czech Republic to the UK with his family, to shield them from open racial discrimination. The children have since graduated from university and the family is doing well, but hateful sentiments from the old country continue to have an impact. When the Czech president claims that the Roma are work-shy, Štefan asks other Roma to send him photographs on social media of them at work. Receiving thousands of photos, Štefan becomes a well-known media figure, fighting online battles with the ‘haters’, but at a cost to his personal life.
Dir. Tomás Kratochvíl - 78min - 2022 - Czech Republic, Slovakia, UK
"a nuanced gem...centring on an ordinary man with extraordinary determination, Tomáš Kratochvíl’s documentary shows how one simple video can ignite a revolutionary movement." - Guardian
"Tomáš Kratochvíl’s film captures the spirit of one determined campaigner and the challenges faced by grassroots activism." - Sheffield Doc Fest
"The sensitively conceived personal and family portrait is a film-argument that juxtaposes simplistic, chauvinistic assessments with a full-blooded picture in which race issues are more of a problem to be solved than a lived reality." - Ji.hlava Int. Doc Fest
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Pongo Calling
Dir. Tomás Kratochvíl - 78min - 2022 - Czech Republic, Slovakia, UK
Štefan Pongo is a Roma lorry driver. Fifteen years ago, he emigrated from the Czech Republic to the UK with his family, to shield them from open racial discrimination. The children have since graduated from university and the fa...
Extras
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Pongo Calling - Trailer
Štefan Pongo is a Roma lorry driver. Fifteen years ago, he emigrated from the Czech Republic to the UK with his family to shield them from the open racial discrimination there. The children have since graduated from university and the family is doing well. Mission complete. But when the Czech pre...