Vassilis Douvlis, film director and Head of Programming at Hellenic Parliament Television, is the guest on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, at 22:00 Athens time, on the Voice of Greece programme “Remarkable Personalities” with Stavroula Karali.
Douvlis, whose documentary “Affection to the People” offers a revealing look at censorship under the military junta, shares little-known and often absurd episodes from that era of repression.
The programme includes audio excerpts from his landmark documentary, based on documents and rare archival material: censorship files of Greek and foreign films, official reports, and recordings from a time when every artistic expression was subject to strict control.
Scenes that today border on the comic were once considered “dangerous” and removed. Films were censored and cut because they referred to prohibited figures such as Mikis Theodorakis or Melina Mercouri, or because they depicted poverty, nudity, or even the breaking of plates in nightclubs — elements which junta officials insisted “appealed to the lower instincts of the public.”
The guest also reflects on key filmmakers of the era — Costa-Gavras, Theodoros Angelopoulos, Pantelis Voulgaris — who, through creative strategies and subtle narrative choices, found ways to circumvent censorship and communicate their messages to audiences.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Broadcast: Wednesday, 19 November 2025, 22:00–23:00 Athens time
