Pongo Calling

From his truck, rising online star Štefan Pongo streams his political rants and creates social media movements that go viral, in support of Romani people across Europe.

When the president of the Czech Republic makes a remark that Romani people are ‘socially unadaptable’ and refuse job opportunities, truck driver Štefan Pongo initiates a social media campaign for the Romani in the country to post selfies from their workplaces. His activism through online posts and live broadcasts brings him huge audiences across Europe and eventually results in the establishment of the Czechoslovak Romani Union. But as the campaign evolves, the crisis affects Pongo’s family life. Tomáš Kratochvíl’s film captures the spirit of one determined campaigner and the challenges faced by grassroots activism.