Laborfest: Film: Ludlow Massacre & Palikari-Louis Tikas

FilmWorks United International Working Class Film & Video Festival
Palikari - Louis Tikas and The Ludlow Massacre
(92 min.)(2014) Greece (in English)
By Director Nikos Ventouras and Producer Lamprini Thoma.
The history of immigrants is a story of struggle, and one of the sharpest in our history took place on April 20, 1914 Ludlow massacre of miners and their families in Colorado.
Greek Director Nikos Ventouras and Producer Lamprini Thoma came to the US to do a story on the travels of Jack Kerouac and discovered the hidden story of the Ludlow massacre in Colorado. This includes the story of Greek immigrant Louis Tikas Palikari who they had never heard of.
They learned that Palikari, an immigrant with military training in the Balkan wars, had become one of the leaders of the miner’s strike, and was assassinated by a lieutenant in the Colorado National Guard for leading this strike.
The story of Ludlow is part of our history that has been buried to cover the real contours of US working class history. As Mother Jones said at the time, “No one listened, no one cared, then, came Ludlow and the nation heard”.
Part of their reason for making this film was also the need to fight the growing racism and xenophobia in Greece, which has been a result of the economic crisis. They show that racism and discrimination against immigrants is not limited by borders.
Joining the screening will be SFSU professor Zeese Papanikolas. His book “Buried Unsung: Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre” was an important link for the filmmakers and all working people about our history. Papanikolas will introduce the film and there will be a discussion following the screening.
See also http://www.laborfest.net/2015/2015schedule.htm
http://zeesepapanikolas.com/books-other-writings/buried-unsung/