University News Last updated 22 September 2014
A former Birmingham City University student and leading television journalist, will return to the Birmingham School of Media on Thursday evening for a special film screening.
Theopi Skarlatos, who studied Broadcast Journalism, will be talking to new students about her film ‘Love in the Time of Crisis’, which tells the story of the impact of Greece’s economic collapse on people's relationships, including love, sex, divorce, marriage, dating and domestic violence.
Theopi, who has worked as a BBC Television reporter and as a reporter and newsreader for BBC 5 Live, will be joined at the event on Thursday 25 September by Paul Mason, Channel 4’s Economics Editor who is one of the contributors to the film.
The idea came to Theopi, who grew up in London but spent many summer holidays in Athens with her Greek grandmother, while she was reporting from Athens for the BBC. She spotted graffiti which said "Erotas i tipota" - which means ‘love or nothing’.
"It summed everything up", she said, reflecting on how the crisis had transformed the city she knew as a child.
"We had been filming in a church square completely destroyed by fascist graffiti and migrant children were playing ball, running all over it. They reminded me of myself when I was younger, and in front of me I suddenly saw that square transform from a happy childhood memory to an evil consequence of not only an economic meltdown but a moral and spiritual degradation," added Theopi.
The film will be shown on Thursday evening at Birmingham City University’s Parkside Building, as part of induction activities for new Masters students joining Birmingham School of Media, part of Birmingham City University.