The Cleaners

In June 2012, the far-right Greek political party Golden Dawn came from nowhere to win seven percent of the parliamentary vote. The intense economic crisis and rising unemployment have led to increasing numbers of Greek voters coming to view nationalist ideas as a possible solution to their problems. The party is frequently connected with neo-Nazism and has been accused of glorifying Hitler. Without commentary, this film follows a number of party members during primary elections in central Athens. In disturbing and overtly radical terms, the men air their grievances about the scapegoat for all ills: the growing number of immigrants. On café terraces and village squares, they enter into discussion with supporters and opponents, keeping a sharp eye on migrant passersby combing the streets with shopping carriages. There are tough exchanges about the rights of foreigners; they chalk the words "Greece for the Greeks" on the square to ward off roaming "illegals" and hand out leaflets at the market. This occasionally leads to problems: you want to hand out leaflets to pure Greeks, but how can you be sure who's who?