19/02/2009 - Maria Hatzimichali-Papaliou, founder and director of Emotion Pictures, an international documentary film festival on disability held in Athens. The festival has been promoting films to challenge socio-political issues addressing social inequality and oppression through the medium of films.

For Maria Papaliou, the founder and director of the annual Emotion Pictures documentary film festival in Athens, it has meant a life-long commitment to putting cameras in the hands of those who have been challenged with disability or the crushing mental and emotional wounds of war. She should know. Before using her European connections to launch Emotion Pictures in 2006, Maria had shown an enduring commitment to giving a voice to the disenfranchised through the medium of film. This unflinching engagement got her into trouble with Greek authorities during the transition from military dictatorship. Unsurprisingly, Maria is fond of saying that "diversity is the thing that unites us all."
Emotion Pictures receives support from the Greek Cinema Centre.
Read the Emotion Pictures case study

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