Golden Dawn Girls 2018

The documentary dives into the far-right organization surrounding the Greek ultra-right party, offering an unprecedented look at its rise and the forces that kept it in the public eye. It follows the women who stood beside the party’s most visible faces, whose voices gained resonance even within a deeply patriarchal structure. Among the figures spotlighted are Ilias Kassidiaris as the Golden Dawn spokesman and Nikolaos Michaloliakos, the founder, whose public personas helped define the movement.

After the arrests of the male leaders, the women’s voices gained even more prominence within the organization, amplified by martyr narratives that lent the movement a sense of legitimacy and continuity. The film captures a rallying cry that echoed through the ranks:

blood, honor, Golden Dawn

To explain different points of view, the documentary follows three generations with very distinct pasts. Dafni, who later becomes involved with left-wing parties, reflects on her journey: “When I was young, I had totally different political ideas. I was a member of PASOK many years. With all the ideals that inspire young people: democracy, freedom and those beautiful ideas that you eventually discover to be a lie.”

The other two protagonists are Jenny, known for her hate speech, and Urania, the leader’s daughter, who wields the strongest voice in hate speech and violence. Urania is portrayed by Ourania Michaloliakou, Ourania Michaloliakou, and her 2012 arrest for beating up a Pakistani underscores the severity of the actions tied to the rhetoric surrounding the group. The film presents Jenny and Urania as contrasting faces of the movement, each illustrating how personal histories intertwine with political extremism.

Throughout, the documentary remains careful, measured, and multi-faceted, using intimate interviews, archival material, and careful context to illuminate how a movement with a violent core also depends on carefully cultivated social and familial networks. The result is a nuanced portrait that stays true to the complexities of its subject, inviting readers to consider how and why a political current can endure through generations of personal stories and public controversy.