Ruins charts the stigmatization and criminalization of poor and marginalized HIV-positive women singled out for political gain in contemporary Greece.

Synopsis

Ruins: Chronicle of an HIV witch-hunt, tells the story of women rounded up in the streets of Athens and subjected to mandatory HIV tests. Twenty-six women were found to be HIV positive. They were arrested, publicly exposed on television and the print media, and vilified as a “time bomb” threatening Greek families.

This was done by the right wing Greek Government in the weeks before the 2012 election. By drumming up hysteria against sex workers, immigrants, disabled people and other marginalised groups, the Government attempted to show it was “in control” by instituting brutal crackdowns.