In the Mediterranean, there's a tiny Greek island of 4,6 square
kilometers that houses the world's biggest exporter of pumice
in the world. It's called Yali. Pumice is used in construction due
to its low weight, insulation, sound proof, and fire protection
characteristics. Sole inhabitants of the island are 21 miners
working for the mining company. But, the excavations are
irreparably damaging the island, destroying its natural
environment, which has been characterised by experts as
exceptional. Nevertheless, little is done to protect the
environment or the archaeological site on Yali. The island's
mountains are disappearing one by one and experts fear that
the whole island will be covered by the sea once the mining
activity is over. Nothing is being done to protect it because of
the income it brings to the municipality, making this tiny
municipality of less than 1,000 people, the second richest in
Greece, after Athens.
Nikos Pilos is an award-winning photojournalist and one of Europe’s noted feature photographers. He has traveled extensively to document war, natural disasters, poverty, socioeconomic struggle and cultural shifts. His work regularly appears in leading international newspapers and magazines and has been exhibited throughout Europe and U.S.Since his first assignment in Lebanon in 1988, he has covered almost all the major historical events at Balkans, Middle East, Maghreb and Eastern Europe. The last two years he is dedicated into the realization of the cross media interactive platform THE REFUGE
Awards LATEST AWARDS
POYi. 2020 Award of Excellence in category, Documentary News Reporting, with the short doc The Refuge.
Global Migration Film Festival 2019, 3rd place at the category Shor film ,with documentary“Dying For Europe
PriMed 2018 International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary and Reportage France.
Public Award with the documentary Dying for Europe.
World Press photo 2017. Category: short film, second place with the documentary Trapped.
POYi ,2016 Category: Exodus, second place with the story The Road Of Tears.
POYi, 2016 Category: Multimedia News Story, third palce with the story, Dying to enter Europe.
Px3 Paris Photography 2015, Bronze metal for the story “Alevi, The Unknown People”.
Fotovisura Grand 2014, Finalist for the story “Seven Years of Recession”.
Px3 Paris Photography 2014, Gold medal for the story “Dying for Electricity” and Silver medal for the story “Turkey Reacts”.
NPPA 2014, Honorable mention for the story “Turkey Reacts”.
POYi 2014, Finalist in the World Understanding category for the story “Greece, Seven Years of Recession”.
Lucie Awards, 2013, Finalist for the story “Greece, Seven Years of Recession”.
PX3-Prix De la Photographie 2013, Gold medal in the Portraits category for a photograph of a member of the Golden Dawn.
CHIPP - China International Press Photo Contest 2012, Award in the Economy Science & Technology category for the story “The coal mines”.
