Singing Resistance: A Film Screening of Songs of Fire (1975)

To commemorate the Athens Polytechnic uprising of November 17, 1973, the HCAAO is proud to host a screening of Tragoudia tis fotias (Greek for “Songs of Fire”), a 1975 documentary and musical film made by Nikos Koundouros after returning to Greece from self-exile in Paris. Opening with a shot from a demonstration commemorating the polytechnic student uprising, the documentary captures the celebrations of the Greek people following the fall of the military dictatorship, also known as the Regime of the Colonels (1967–1974). York University was a hub of the anti-dictatorship struggle, hosting events such as “Greek Freedom Week” on November 1970.

The film documents three large public concerts and demonstrations immediately after the dictatorship’s collapse, capturing the enthusiasm for the end of dictatorship and the promise of the new democracy. The film includes footage of prominent Greek musicians, including Mikis Theodorakis, Yiannis Markopoulos, Maria Farantouri, and Melina Mercouri, among others.

Kostis Kornetis, Professor of Contemporary History at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, will introduce the film and discussion will follow.