This documentary is an independent production about what the Filmmaker sees as the pitfalls of charismatic leadership and the constraints of democratic governance amid economic globalisation. Charismatic leaders build personalistic parties and undermine political institutions, while their succession is fraught with difficulties. ‘Searching for Andreas’ explores peoples’ reliance on such leaders by examining the life and legacy of one of Europe’s most controversial leaders, Andreas G. Papandreou.  

The film premiered at the 20th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in 2018, won two awards at the International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra in 2019, and was also screened at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in Washington, DC and the 2021 World Congress of Political Science of the International Political Science Association. According to the Filmmaker, the objective of the film, which will be screened for the first time in the UK, is to engage students, researchers and the public with the nature of charismatic leadership and the role of institutions in contemporary politics.

Meet our speaker and chair

Harris Mylonas, Associate Professor at George Washington University, is a leading voice on nationalism, polarization, and identity politics. He shares insights through various mediums, including public speaking and documentary filmmaking. An Editor-in-Chief of Nationalities Papers, he's authored "The Politics of Nation-Building" and co-authored "Varieties of Nationalism." Mylonas has also co-edited "Enemies Within" and "The Microfoundations of Diaspora Politics." Currently a visiting professor at Carlos III University of Madrid, he's working on his upcoming book, "Diaspora Management Logics." "Searching for Andreas: Political Leadership in Times of Crisis" marks his debut film.

Kevin Featherstone is a professorial research fellow and Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the European Institute at LSE.

The Twitter Hashtag for this event is: #LSEGreece

More about this event

The Hellenic Observatory (@HO_LSE) is internationally recognised as one of the premier research centres on contemporary Greece and Cyprus. It engages in a range of activities, including developing and supporting academic and policy-related research; organisation of conferences, seminars and workshops; academic exchange through visiting fellowships and internships; as well as teaching at the graduate level through LSE's European Institute.