Spetses ’21, History Crossroad

It was perhaps the most spectacular flourishing of imagination and achievement in recorded history. In the Fourth and Fifth Centuries BC, the Greeks built an empire that stretched across the Mediterranean from Asia to Spain. They laid the foundations of modern science, politics, warfare and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever seen. This series, narrated by Liam Neeson, recounts the rise, glory, demise and legacy of the empire that marked the dawn of Western civilization. The story of this astonishing civilization is told through the lives of heroes of ancient Greece. The latest advances in computer and television technology rebuild the Acropolis, recreate the Battle of Marathon and restore the grandeur of the Academy, where Socrates, Plato and Aristotle forged the foundation of Western thought.

For centuries Troy was believed to be a mythical city. Now, a leading team of American archaeologists have discovered an ancient thriving city, and evidence of a real Trojan War.

A visit to Athens, Greece and the island of Rhodes.

In 1900, a storm blew a boatload of sponge divers off course and forced them to take shelter by the tiny Mediterranean island of Antikythera. Diving the next day, they discovered a 2,000 year-old Greek shipwreck. Among the ship's cargo they hauled up was an unimpressive green lump of corroded bronze. Rusted remnants of gear wheels could be seen on its surface, suggesting some kind of intricate mechanism. The first X-ray studies confirmed that idea, but how it worked and what it was for puzzled scientists for decades. Recently, hi-tech imaging has revealed the extraordinary truth: this unique clockwork machine was the world's first computer.

Olympiacos: The Legend is the epic story of a season that defied all expectations and rewrote European football history. In 2023/24, Olympiacos shattered barriers by becoming the first Greek club to win a European trophy-and didn't stop there. In a feat never before accomplished, they claimed not one but two major continental titles: the UEFA Europa Conference League and the UEFA Youth League.

A travelogue from Greece, showing sites in Piraeus and Athens.

The Greek shadow puppetry began 130 years ago. A student of Greek shadow puppetry travels to China, where shadow puppetry began over 2000 years ago. There he follows Chinese shadow puppeteer master He Shihong in Wushan of China. Watching his performances and listening to him talk about his art and his career in it, many parallels are drawn and he expresses them by including his Greek shadow puppetry teacher in the film. This documentary is a cultural bridge between Greece and China through the art of shadow puppetry.

As going through an economic vortex, Greece is experiencing condition in post-war history. Homeless people, unemployment, poverty, violent conflicts and the rise of the extreme-right are found all over the county. Is there any possible way to break through the crisis? This film follows development of the crisis and its impact on people’s lives, as well as rise of fascism, while seeking answers from interested parties.

Christos is 12 years old. He is the last child of Arki, a small island located in the far east of Greece. Less than forty inhabitants live there all year round. For the last four years, the primary public school has remained open for one pupil only. Maria Tsialera, Christos’s teacher, travels every week to Arki from the neighboring island where she lives to ensure his schooling, convinced that learning is essential for the development of this insular child. At the end of his primary school years, Christos might work with his parents and his older brothers in the family farm. But Maria Tsialera is doing whatever she can for him to continue his scholarship on another island.

What would happen if you entered a nocturnal Athens that you did not imagine? Political, human, unpredictable. This documentary is a kaleidoscope of voices about contemporary Greece.