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Imoje Michael Aikhoje

@maichal94

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Director | Producer | Editor
London
👇🏾

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I present to you a little:

- reflection on ways to spend and treasure life

- recap of moments where time was remarkably forgotten

- reminder of the rays of sunshine that surround me (and the great fun we had !!☀️)

- (and that I can film for the sake of all of the above, emphasis on fun)

Shot with DJI Osmo Pocket 3 📹

Aforementioned rays of sunshine:
@maichal94
@janamucek
@brechjehoogers
@oh_drewklein
@jesseconijn
Anne

#djiosmopocket3

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Summer in Portugal❣️(and its tendency to end in the blink of an eye? What’s that about)

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"I felt like there wasn't enough safe spaces for Black creatives."

👋🏽Meet Imoje and Leesha, two more of this year's Momentum 2026/27 cohort.

Imoje is a director and producer seeking support, network, and mentorship for his next film.

Leesha is a writer and director looking for safe spaces for Black creatives.

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Als Sintiza, Aktivistin und Bildungsbotschafterin gegen Antiziganismus schildert Chanelle Ruthner aus Wien ihre Eindrücke von unserem Filmabend mit den Dokumentationen „Beyond the Divide“ von Imoje Aikhoje und „That Boy“ von Toby Gorniak.

Im Mittelpunkt des Abends standen Fragen von rassistischer Gewalt, Verantwortung und Veränderung. Besonders wertvoll war die anschließende Podiumsdiskussion mit den beiden Filmemachern sowie mit Talina Connolly vom Netzwerk Sinti Roma Kirchen und der Regisseurin und Aktivistin Tayo Awosusi-Onutor. Dabei wurde deutlich, wie wichtig es ist, Stereotype zu hinterfragen, unterschiedlichen Perspektiven Raum zu geben, Geschichten zu erzählen, zuzuhören und einander wirklich zu sehen.

Der Filmabend war Teil der Reihe „Ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst: Antiziganismus im Film“, veranstaltet von der Evangelischen Akademie zu Berlin mit dem Critical Film & Image Hub an der Forschungsstelle Antiziganismus der Universität Heidelberg.

Als weiteren Film in der Reihe zeigen wir morgen (10.6.) „The Garbage Helicopter“ von Jonas Selberg Augustsén.

Mehr zur Reihe: https://www.eaberlin.de/antiziganismus-im-film

Mehr zum kommenden Filmabend: www.eaberlin.de/garbage-helicopter

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“Divide and conquer” is one of the oldest strategies in history.

And the scary thing is…

It still works.

Keep people focused on their differences and they’ll never discover how much they actually have in common.

I’ve spent years speaking to people from completely different backgrounds, beliefs, cultures and experiences.

I’ve sat with people I never imagined I’d sit with.

Including a former Neo-Nazi.

And what I’ve learned is this:

The moment we stop seeing labels first and start seeing human beings first, the conversation changes.

Not because our differences disappear.

But because they stop being the most important thing in the room.

You can be proud of who you are and still be curious about someone else.

You can protect your identity and still build bridges.

You can disagree and still choose dignity.

As a Roma man, I know what it feels like when people make assumptions before they know your story.

That’s why I’ve learned to ask a different question.

Not:

“What makes us different?”

But:

“What do we already share?”

Because when you start there, something powerful happens.

Fear gets smaller.

Understanding gets bigger.

And people stop being categories.

They become human again.

Maybe that’s not weakness.

Maybe that’s one of the bravest things we can do.

To see the person before the label. 💯
Peace & ❤️ #roma #sinti #gypsy

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“It all starts with you.”

I spoke these words during a panel discussion at the Pilecki Institute in Berlin, and the more I think about them, the more I realise how true they are.

We spend so much time waiting.

Waiting for leaders.

Waiting for systems.

Waiting for somebody else to fix what we can already see is broken.

But every community, every movement, every positive change started when someone decided not to wait.

As a Roma man, I’ve learned that if I want a different future, I have to help build it.

Nobody can do my part for me.

And the same is true for all of us.

Whether we act or stay silent.

Whether we step forward or step back.

Whether we become part of the solution or watch from the sidelines.

We’re still making a choice.

And choices have consequences.

The communities around us are shaped every day by what we do, what we ignore, and what we’re willing to take responsibility for.

I’ve never believed one person can change the whole world.

But I do believe one person can change a room.

A family.

A street.

A community.

And sometimes that’s exactly where the world changes.

So here’s the question:

What responsibility have you been waiting to give to somebody else?

Because maybe it’s already yours.

And maybe it always was. 💯
Peace & ❤️ #roma #sinti #gypsy

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Most people agree that racism is wrong.

The harder question is:

What are we actually doing when we witness it?

Being against racism is not an identity.
It’s a practice.

What do you think?

#antiracism #representationmatters #romnja #romaniwomen #visibilitymatters

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’ve been told most of my life as a man:

“Chin up.”
“Get on with it.”
“Don’t feel it too much.”
“Deal with it yourself.”

And if you were hurt as a boy… you were expected to grow out of it in silence.

No language for it.

No space for it.

Just carry it.

But life forced me into a different conversation.

As a Roma boy at 11, I was attacked by skinheads and left in a coma.

Years later, I found myself sitting face to face with a former Neo-Nazi.

Not in anger.

But in conversation.

Two men, speaking about childhood.

Not defending anything.

Just trying to understand what shaped us.

That moment changed something in me.

Because instead of hate, what came up was honesty.

And honesty doesn’t always feel strong at first… but it’s the only thing that actually heals.

On the panel at the Pilecki Institute, I spoke about this.

About what it means to be a man when you’ve been taught to shut everything down.

And how different life becomes when you finally start listening as much as you speak.

A big shift came for me later in life — through my wife.

She taught me something simple, but powerful:

Strength isn’t in holding it all in.

It’s in being able to say what you feel without fear.

That changed everything.

Because real masculinity isn’t silence.

It’s honesty under pressure.

And I’ve learned this:

You can’t heal what you refuse to speak.

And you can’t connect with people you refuse to listen to.

This conversation isn’t about weakness.

It’s about finally becoming whole 💯
Peace & ❤️ #roma #mentalk #realtalk

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Day Two. Berlin.

That evening, I found myself sitting on a panel at the Pilecki Institute alongside an incredible author, singer & activist and a film director flown in from the UK, whose film “Beyond The Divide” was screened alongside my documentary, “That Boy”.

And honestly…

Little Toby would never have believed this.

The Roma boy who grew up feeling invisible.

The Roma boy who was attacked and left in a coma at 11 years old.

The Roma boy who rarely saw people like himself reflected in spaces like these.

Yet there I was.

My story on the screen.

My voice on the panel.

Roma and Sinti young adults in the audience.

The British Council, NGOs and cultural organisations in the room.

Not watching from the sidelines.

Part of the conversation.

That’s what stayed with me.

Because representation isn’t just about being present.

It’s about being heard.

I’ve learned something over the years:

When one person walks through a door, it’s an achievement.

When they hold it open for others, it’s impact.

Last night felt like impact.

A powerful reminder that our stories belong in every room where the future is being discussed.

And when they’re finally heard, something shifts
Peace & ❤️ #roma #sinti #gypsy

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Wanted to share a snapshot from the Momentum launch event. Thank you to @weareparable @channel4 and @sonypictures for the opportunity, and shoutout to @adidas for the superstars 🤭 also to @_ash_clark for sharing The World of Black Film, I’m already loving it 💗 photos from @freezeframeinfo

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I’m so thrilled and appreciative to be selected as one of the 30 Black British filmmakers 🎬 for the @weareparable Momentum programme in partnership with @channel4 @channel4skills & @sonypicturestv

I’m excited for the growth and development that will happen over the next 9 months, this is only the beginning… 👀🤫😉

@adidasuk you ate with the gifted trainers 🤌🏾🔥

Also thank you @_ash_clark & @laurencekingpub for the copy of ‘The World of Black Film’ by Ashley Clark 🫶🏾

📸 Photo credits to Freezeframe Media @freezeframeinfo

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I am incredibly honoured and proud to announce that I have been selected as one of the 30 individuals selected out of the 750 applications for the momentum 2026/2027 cohort, a 9 month initiative by We are Parable, supported by Channel 4 and Sony Pictures Television spearheading the next generation of black creatives.

A massive shout out to
@weareparable @channel4 @channel4skills and @sonypicturestv

Thank you @adidasuk for trainers.

Thank you for the grifted The World of Black Film by Ashley Clark
@laurencekingpub
@_ash_clark

Photo credits to Freezeframe Media @freezeframeinfo

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