In Thursday’s episode, 24 July 2025, we began with a roundup of current affairs and the day’s headlines from the internet and newspapers. Right after that, we spoke with Mr. Filippos Fortomas, Member of Parliament for the Cyclades with New Democracy and Chair of the Special Permanent Committee of the Hellenic Parliament on Greeks Abroad. With him, we discussed the recent visit to Athens by representatives of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association—a body founded in 1996 on the initiative of the Greek government. This organization brings together legislators of Greek descent from around the world who actively support Greece’s positions internationally.
We also learned about the latest initiatives of the Special Committee on issues such as the political participation of the diaspora, the process of acquiring Greek citizenship for second- and third-generation Greeks, and, of course, the challenges facing Greek-language education in Hellenic communities across the globe.
In the second hour, our guest in the studio was Vassilis Xiros. A former Consul General of Greece in Shanghai (2015–2019), Xiros is now the director of the film “One Day in Shanghai“, currently streaming on ERTflix through the end of August. The film, already popular among ERT viewers, was shot in Shanghai just days after the end of his diplomatic term. He spoke to us about the challenges of filming on the streets of the city, his first experience behind the camera, how he chose his cast, and how lead actor Dimitris Mothonaios turned down a promising TV deal in Greece to travel to Shanghai for the project. He also shared insights on working with Chinese actors and crew—and gave us a glimpse into what he’s preparing next for the big screen.