Odysseas Elytis (nee Odysseas Alepoudelis) was one of two greek poets who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979 (the other being Giorgos Seferis). Elytis’ romantic modernism not only introduced and canonised a new way of writing in greek but most importantly helped in establishing a new understanding of greekness as such. In Elytis’ work, one encounters a transcendental version of greekness that combines both minimalist white-washed antiquity and byzantine times, both paganism and orthodox Christianity, both epic classicism and quotidian peasant life of the Greek countryside. His beautifully written poems have constructed the 20th c. version of intellectual greek nationalism. Elytis’ “Aksion Esti” was set to music by leftist composer Mikis Theodorakis in the 60s turning the poem into a symbol of resistance during the military dictatorship. Anyone growing up in greece is indoctrinated into the melodically toxic world of Elytis, early on.

In Action ST, a series of psychoanalytic encounters with the poem were set up, in order to exorcise it once and for all from the lives and souls of the participants. In Action ST ,the poem transmutes into delirious screams and compulsive movements, a childish improvisation on nationalist trauma.

The Action ST team was Sophia Apostolidou, Alex Dimitriou, Maria Dolores, Foivos Dousos, Alexandros Drosos, Even Steven, Fil Ieropoulos, Alpha Kartsaki, Mariza Tsari, George Tziouvaras

Filmed by Tony Mines in Berlin
RIP Tony xx