The Country With The Forbidden Name FYROM / 45 mins
Director / Co-Producer / Shooter
A documentary covering the landmark referendum in FYROM that would see this country change its name to The Republic of North Macedonia. If approved the name change would theoretically ease the decades long tensions between Greece and FYROM and pave the way forward for this small country of 2 million to enter the EU and NATO.
A move that neighboring Russia hopes to see falter; In yet another instance of Russian election meddling, documents were recently uncovered by OCCRP suggesting that Russia is exuding pressure on Balkan countries to prevent their entrance into NATO or the EU. Kostas Koukoumakas and I look at both sides of the conflict to wrap our heads around this story.
Zoran Zaev, FYROM's prime minister speaks to a crowd of supporters arguing for the Yes vote days before the historic referendum.
Clashes occur between the police and protesters in the Macedonian region of Greece. Many vehemently oppose the name change, an act they see as historically inaccurate and a way for FYROM to encroach on territory and for purposes of historical appropriation.
Saska Cvetkovska, an investigative reporter that uncovered a Russian influence campaign in FYROM said that "Some of our investigations, that are not yet finished, show that Russia is more active in Greece than in Macedonia."
