Golden Dawn a public affair
How to resist?

SYNOPSIS

What sort of action to adopt against nazism, fascism and  the extreme right?
Can Democracy still eradicate them once and for all without bending its own principles?
Despite the ongoing trial that has been ongoing for the last 4 years and which its main purpose is to prove that Golden Dawn is not a political party but a criminal organization with a military character and pyramid structure, this entity continues to be present and holds its good rank in the Greek political landscape. How is it possible? How can anyone still vote for Golden Dawn?
How to explain that 13,3% of young voters between 17 and 25 still massively vote for this openly declared neo- nazi party?
While its members or supporters go on beating up journalists, lawyers, political opponents, migrants?

The work that started in 2009 researching this party isn’t done. After having conducted a long term inquiry on the very nature of this Greek neo-nazi party, the director, Angélique Kourounis, tries now to establish how to respond to Golden Dawn. How to fight back? Is the solution to be given by the courts? A political blockade from all political parties? A media boycott? Raising social awareness? A better education in school? Or is it a more physical resistance?

The consequences of the economic and social crisis are felt in more and more European countries, the political instability is becoming the new norm, the disallowance of political leaders and the failure of the Left to face this scourge are in the center of this documentary that is trying to figure out why Golden Dawn is still a player on the political scene.
It’s about a Golden Dawn that has not changed its course nor ideology. The black meander on its red background furiously reminding the swastika still waives on top of its offices in the heart of the city. Golden Dawn which still runs at every election, acts as political scare-crow, carries on playing the martyrs but that is hurt from the historical trial that is ongoing against it.
A trial even more important than the trial of Nuremberg and which is the back bone of this documentary.
Angelique Kourounis dedicated several years of work to her inquiries on the neo-nazi party, still actively present on Greece’s political chessboard despite decades of deadly aggressions. It is her fourth film on the topic

Director : Angélique Kourounis
Author/s: Angélique Kourounis and Thomas Iacobi

Letter of intention

Back in 2009 when I started shooting the documentary Golden Dawn a personal affair, I was wondering what was the nature of this party that was rapidly growing in Greece and had made its entry into the municipal council of Athens. Five years later when I finished the movie, Golden Dawn had become the third political force of the country.
Then the question that puzzled me was why certain Greeks still voted for this entity despite the running trial, despite all the revelations ?
What is going on in the mind of the next door neo-nazi?
What I try to figure out today is : how to resist? How to get organized ? Which means to use? How to make a stand against nazi ideology that is on the rise all over Europe, against fascism that has become almost common place and the Far Right whose ideology is present in the majority of Parliaments when not outright governing.
In other words – is democracy able, not stop, but to crush, to eradicate, to annihilate Nazism and Fascism without bending its own principles?
The fears that accompanied me during the first documentary have are still at my side, particularly since my co)author Thomas Iacobi was attacked by goldendawners who recognized him in a rally, yet this second film imposes itself. It is the natural continuation of the first one, particularly as in Greece Golden Dawn assault squads have returned to active service until the movements recent election defeat and in several countries their supporters show off without any feeling of shame.This second