Greek director Costas Vakkas will present a different, radical version of Greek migrants’ history in the US through his documentary “Dan Georgakas: A Diaspora Rebel,” which will be screened at the 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. In an interview, Greek-American poet, writer, film critic and professor of Greek-American studies at Queens College in New York Dan Georgakas spoke about his personal story. He spoke about how his parents moved to the US, about his studies and the coming of age process in a city like Detroit. More importantly however, he spoke about the Greek community and the racism that Greeks faced. Vakkas met Georgakas when he traveled to the US for his film “Taxisyneidisia” and was pleasantly surprised to meet a man with an open mind and broad education. In his work “Greek Americans at work,” Georgakas examines the working conditions and the strike struggles of the Greeks in America. He believes that even though they are a minority in the US, they have played key roles in major historical moments and helped win many workers’ struggles. In the documentary, Georgakas talks about the Marxist influences and activist action against racism, the Vietnam War and the military junta in Greece. He explains how he took part in the anti-dictatorial movement from day one because he thought that the return to fascism in Europe and especially Greece was unthinkable. The documentary “Dan Georgakas: A Diaspora Rebel” will be screened on Thursday, March 19, at 8pm and Saturday, March 21, at 12:30pm.
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