Scenes of Crime: Narratives of Crime in Movies, Novels, and Theater in Greece During the Crisis

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Abstract

This roundtable explores criminological approaches in crime fiction, cinema, and theater produced and set in Greece during the economic crisis, framed within Cultural Criminology. The discussion is led by members of the interdisciplinary Cultural Criminology Laboratory of the Center for the Study of Crime, a scientific non-profit organization. In 2024, the Laboratory examined this topic through bibliographic research and conversations with creators from literature and cinema, offering diverse perspectives on crime representation in artistic narratives.
The session begins with an introduction to Cultural Criminology and the Laboratory’s work, followed by individual presentations analyzing crime narratives in cinema, theater, and literature. It culminates in a discussion of shared thematic patterns and broader criminological implications.
The roundtable analyzes three works by acclaimed filmmaker Yannis Economides—the films Mikro Psari (Stratos), I Psyche sto Stoma (The Soul in the Mouth), and the play Stella Koimisou (Stella, Sleep)—alongside Elena Housni’s novel To Paidi me ti Rige Blouza (The Boy with the Striped Blouse). Through the lens of Cultural Criminology, the speakers discuss representations of the criminal justice system, crime prevention, the underworld, and subcultures of violence, including gender-based, domestic, and sexual violence. They also examine the reintegration of ex-prisoners, the linguistic patterns of offenders and victims, and criminological messages embedded in these works.
These themes are explored within the neo-noir aesthetic and realist storytelling that characterize the selected works. The discussion highlights how these creations portray, critique, and reframe issues such as patriarchy, social exclusion, and the criminal underworld. By offering implicit criminological interpretations, the roundtable bridges cultural narratives with criminological theory, fostering dialogue on the socio-legal dimensions of crime in contemporary Greek storytelling.

Subtopic

• Topic 1: Perspectives on Crime and Criminal Behavior / Cultural Criminology

Chair

• Martha Lempesi, Center for the Study of Crime

Individual Presentations

• Soul Kicking (Soul in Mouth): Language in Chains of Violence and Silence - Aleksander Rammos, Law (LLM mult.) & Forensic Psychiatry (MSc)| Center for the Study of Crime

• The Little Fish in the Nets of Criminology - Dionysios Chionis, Lawyer at the Supreme Court, LLM (Criminology) | Center for the Study of Crime

• Stella, Sleep – The Myth of the "Holy" Greek Family - Paraskevi Damala, Social Studies & Theatre Studies, M.Ed., PhD Candidate, University of Peloponnese; Oriana Zanidaki, Social Policy Scientist | Center for the study of crime

• Neo-Noir and Patriarchy: The Financial Crisis as a Dystopian Landscape of Gendered Violence in Greek Crime Fiction - Maria Athini, FRSA, MSWWJ, MA, Author–Journalist | Center for the Study of Crime