Screening of award-winning short documentary
Dukakis: A Recipe for Democracy
directed by Erin Trahan and Jeff Schmidt
followed by Q&A with Erin Trahan, Co-director

Presented by the UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture
and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Sponsored by the Aris Anagnos Family in Hellenic Studies Chair

January 13, 2026
4:00 P.M.
314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Reception to follow

RSVP Here

Upon accepting the Democratic nomination for president in 1988, Michael Dukakis tells his fellow citizens that when they see an image of the White House, he wants them to feel pride. He pledges to serve in a White House that “sets high standards not just for the American people, but high standards for itself.” “Dukakis” catches up with the unflappable three-term Massachusetts governor three decades later. On a snowy afternoon, in the same Brookline, Massachusetts duplex he bought with his wife Kitty more than 50 years ago, he pulls a frozen turkey carcass from the freezer and starts chopping onions.

While soup broth simmers, “Dukakis” takes viewers on a journey along his long arc of leadership, reflecting on his formative years as the son of Greek immigrants up to the present. At age 85, he mentors budding public servants as a college professor. He also chairs a commission to connect Boston’s North and South rail stations – a project he has backed since the 1970s. Meanwhile a crop of new leaders – including Northeastern University undergraduate Juan Gallego, also a son of immigrants – carries Dukakis’ legacy forward all the way to the governor’s office.

“Democracy is a work in progress,” says Dukakis as he fills a bowl with steaming soup. “A precious gift that needs constant nurturing.” Amidst unprecedented uncertainty in American politics, “Dukakis” offers a reason to pause, take stock in the past, and look forward with renewed faith in what’s possible when people believe in democracy, and each other.

VIEW FILM WEBSITE

PLAY TRAILER

Parking details will be provided. For questions, please contact hellenic@humnet.ucla.edu