‘David Lynch altered our brains’: fellow directors, friends and fans remember a titan of cinema

His unique, twisted visions shocked and seduced generations of filmgoers. Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Coralie Fargeat and more pay tribute • Ranked: David Lynch’s films and TV shows • Cigarettes were Lynch’s magic wand – and his undoing Paul Schrader, director Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/GMHZC9Q via IFTTT

Pongo Calling review – Roma lorry driver turns viral activist after political persecution

Film-maker Tomáš Kratochvíl follows the story of Czech-Mancunian trucker turned activist Štefan Pongo

Centring on an ordinary man with extraordinary determination, Tomáš Kratochvíl’s documentary shows how one simple video can ignite a revolutionary movement. After emigrating to the UK nearly 15 years ago, Czech Roma lorry driver Štefan Pongo built a new life for himself and his family in Manchester. At the same time, the persecution faced by his community never strayed far from Pongo’s mind. After hearing a speech in which Miloš Zeman, then the president of the Czech Republic, claimed that 90% of the Roma people were “socially unadaptable” and resistant to work, Pongo started a viral appeal online where he and countless other Roma compatriots posted selfies of themselves at their workplaces.

The appeal was straightforward, yet hugely impactful. Its aim was to battle harmful stereotypes thrust upon Roma people, which Pongo himself had experienced first-hand from a young age. In one particularly painful anecdote, he mentioned his primary school teacher rubbing his arms in front of the whole class to demonstrate how “dirty” the Roma are. As Pongo took a leadership role in the fight for Romani rights, his activism also translated into real-world actions, organising protest rallies in Brussels, and travelling to rural Slovenia to deliver aid to the most vulnerable in the community.

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