Documentary #ThisIsACoup gets inside the fierce battle between Syriza and the EU
- Text by Alex King
“Guys we won. Don’t cry,” Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras joked as his party won Greece’s January 2015 elections. “When we lost, you were laughing. Now we’ve won, you’re crying.”
Syriza’s resounding victory was the first time in modern history a radical left party had taken power in Europe. The party was elected on a promise to end the crippling austerity inflicted on Greece by the EU, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, collectively known as the Troika.
Syriza knew they were in for a fight – but at the time, they had no idea the Troika would make their victory a poisoned chalice.
Four-part documentary series #ThisIsACoup takes us inside the vicious battle between Syriza and the Troika. With unprecedented access to Syriza, the film argues that their win exposed the limits of democracy and Europe’s elite destroyed Greece’s economy to defend their unquestionable authority.
Director Theopi Skarlatos and producer Paul Mason met in the middle of a riot, and followed Syriza’s rocky journey until the June bailout referendum, when 62% of Greeks rejected the EU’s austerity measures.
The film is supported by The Intercept’s Field of Vision, a filmmaker-driven visual journalism film unit co-created by Oscar-winning director of Citizenfour Laura Poitras, AJ Schnack and Charlotte Cook.
Watch Episode 1: ‘Angela, Suck Our Balls’ above and head over to The Intercept to catch new episodes dropping daily until December 18.
You might like
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong tells ICE to “fuck off” in LA protest video
Saviors — The singer shared the post on Sunday, featuring the band’s recently released song ‘Fuck Off’ as its soundtrack.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Meet the Kumeyaay, the indigenous peoples split by the US-Mexico border wall
A growing divide — In northwestern Mexico and parts of Arizona and California, the communities have faced isolation and economic struggles as physical barriers have risen in their ancestral lands. Now, elders are fighting to preserve their language and culture.
Written by: Alicia Fàbregas
A new book explores Tupac’s revolutionary politics and activism
Words For My Comrades — Penned by Dean Van Nguyen, the cultural history encompasses interviews with those who knew the rapper well, while exploring his parents’ anti-capitalist influence.
Written by: Isaac Muk
A reading of the names of children killed in Gaza lasts over 18 hours
Choose Love — The vigil was held outside of the UK’s Houses of Parliament, with the likes of Steve Coogan, Chris O’Dowd, Nadhia Sawalha and Misan Harriman taking part.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Youth violence’s rise is deeply concerning, but mass hysteria doesn’t help
Safe — On Knife Crime Awareness Week, writer, podcaster and youth worker Ciaran Thapar reflects on the presence of violent content online, growing awareness about the need for action, and the two decades since Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy.
Written by: Ciaran Thapar
Jack Johnson
Letting It All Out — Jack Johnson’s latest record, Sleep Through The Static, is more powerful and thought provoking than his entire back catalogue put together. At its core, two themes stand out: war and the environment. HUCK pays a visit to Jack’s solar-powered Casa Verde, in Los Angeles, to speak about his new album, climate change, politics, family and the beauty of doing things your own way.
Written by: Tim Donnelly
