DOGS OF DEMOCRACY

Dogs of Democracy is a documentary about the stray dogs of Athens and the people who take care of them. Filmmaker Mary Zournazi explores life on the streets through the eyes of the dogs and peoples' experience. Shot on location in Athens, the birthplace of democracy, the documentary is about how Greece has become the ‘stray dogs of Europe’, and how the dogs have become a symbol of hope for the people and for the anti-austerity movement. A universal story about love and loyalty and what we might learn from animals.

“ A powerful film narrative, the stray dogs of central Athens are transformed from mere symbols of a peculiar freedom to witnesses of a heart-wrenching human crisis.” - Yanis Varoufakis, Greek economist, Academic and Politician

THE FILMMAKER

Mary Zournazi is an Australian author, philosopher, and filmmaker. She wrote, directed and filmed Dogs of Democracy (2016), which is an essay style documentary about the stray dogs of Athens and the people who take care of them. She is the author of several books including Hope - New Philosophies for Change and Inventing Peace with the German filmmaker Wim Wenders. She teaches in the sociology program at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

PRIZES, FESTIVALS, AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Best Documentary – 2017 Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival, Brooklyn NY
Spirit of Activism Award, Nevada Women’s Film Festival
Impact Documentary Award
Spotlight Documentary Award
Shortlisted Telling Tales International Film and Audio Festival
Ethnografilm, Paris
Docutah Film Festival, US
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
London Greek Film Festival
New York City Greek Film Festival
Nevada Women’s Festival, US
Female Eye Film Festival, Toronto
Gdansk Film Festival, Poland
Ierapetra International Documentary Film Festival
New Hope Film Festival, US
Telling Tales International Film and Audio Festival, Manchester
Lady’s First International Film Festival, Ireland
Social Justice Film Festival, Seattle
Imagine This Festival, Brooklyn
Dogs Film Festival, New York
Greek Film Festival Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane
Peloponnisos Documentary Film Festival
Oz Dox
Marrickville Library
Greek Film Archive, Athens
Greek Local Syriza Meeting, Athens
Hellenic Union of Southern California, Martin Luther King Jr Auditorium, Santa Monica