Aris Chatzistefanou

{{short description|Greek journalist and filmmaker|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

File:Η πιο κρυφή πληγή - Άρης Χατηστεφάνου (cropped).png

Aris Chatzistefanou ({{langx|el|Άρης Χατζηστεφάνου}}) is a Greek journalist and filmmaker.

Born in Athens, Chatzistefanou started his career as a journalist in 1997 at Radio Skai 100.3,{{cite web|url=http://owni.eu/2011/05/06/exclusive-campaigning-documentary-debtocracy-released-in-english/ |title=Campaigning documentary 'Debtocracy' released in English |work=OWNI |date=6 May 2011 |accessdate=26 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112060826/http://owni.eu/2011/05/06/exclusive-campaigning-documentary-debtocracy-released-in-english/ |archivedate=12 January 2014 }}{{cite web | title=Political parties' condemnation | url=http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/2010/10-06-01.ana.html#03 | work=ANA-MPA | publisher=hri.org | accessdate=26 May 2014| date=1 June 2010}} where in 2005 he began his own show Infowar, a big success on Greek radio.{{cite web | url=http://ejc.net/magazine/article/7-new-ways-greek-journalists-are-reporting-old-news#.U4OlYvldWJI | title=7 New Ways Greek Journalists Are Reporting Old News | date=18 October 2012 | author=Makri, Elina | publisher=European Journalism Centre | accessdate=26 May 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527215026/http://ejc.net/magazine/article/7-new-ways-greek-journalists-are-reporting-old-news#.U4OlYvldWJI | archive-date=27 May 2014 | url-status=dead }} In April 2011, he released Debtocracy, a documentary co-directed by Katerina Kitidi about the Greek debt crisis, which, despite garnering almost a million viewers on YouTube,{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jun/09/debtocracy-film | title=Debtocracy: the samizdat of Greek debt | author=Chakrabortty, Aditya | work=The Guardian| date=9 June 2011 | accessdate=26 May 2014}} was not well received in the traditional media and caused the cancellation of Infowar and his dismissal.{{cite web | url=http://www.redpepper.org.uk/greece-no-tahrir-here/ | title=Society-wide anger | date=June 2011 | author=Phillips, Leigh | work=Red Pepper | accessdate=26 May 2014}}

He has worked for the BBC World Service in London and Istanbul, and contributed short documentaries and articles to The Guardian and other international media outlets.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/greek/aboutus/story/2003/10/031008_aboutuk.shtml | title=About BBC Greek | date=8 October 2003 | publisher=BBC | accessdate=26 May 2014}}{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/aris-chatzistefanou | title=Aris Chatzistefanou profile | work=The Guardian| accessdate=26 May 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/aris-chatzistefanou|title=Aris Chatzistefanou|website=The Guardian|access-date=2017-11-27}}

In 2012, he co-directed with Katerina Kitidi, the documentary Catastroika that focuses on the effects of massive privatization in Greece and several other countries. The documentary features Naomi Klein and others. The film was released by the co-owned Infowar Productions.{{cite web|url=http://infowarproductions.com|title=INFOWAR PRODUCTIONS|publisher=Infowar Productions|accessdate=27 November 2017}}

Aris Chatzistefanou co-founded the magazine Unfollow in January 2013.{{cite web | url=http://www.thenation.com/article/173044/political-corruption-and-media-retribution-spain-and-greece# | title=Political Corruption and Media Retribution in Spain and Greece | date=21 February 2013 | author=Robinson, Andy | work=The Nation | publisher=The Nation Company | accessdate=26 May 2014}}{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/30/world/europe/greeks-question-media-and-new-voices-pipe-up.html | title=Greeks Question Media, and New Voices Pipe Up | author=Donadio, Rachel | date=29 October 2013 | work=The New York Times | accessdate=26 May 2014}} In 2014, he directed Fascism Inc., a documentary that shows how the economic elites supported fascism in the 1920s and 1930s, comparing it to the present situation.{{cite web | url=http://info-war.gr/2014/05/fascism-inc-greece-and-the-rise-of-the-extreme-right-in-europe/ | title=Fascism Inc: Greece and the Rise of the Extreme Right in Europe | date=23 May 2014 | publisher=Infowar | accessdate=26 May 2014 | archive-date=7 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707222643/http://info-war.gr/2014/05/fascism-inc-greece-and-the-rise-of-the-extreme-right-in-europe/ | url-status=dead }} In 2016 he directed the documentary This Is Not A Coup focusing on the effects of ECB and Eurozone policies in the European periphery.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9atjdO1fpw|title=Film show: Bridget Jones, 'This Is Not A Coup' and 'Mercenary'|website=YouTube|access-date=2017-11-27}}