Documentary backdrop image for Greece - Rocket Wars on Chios (2026)

202631 minPGdocumentary

Greece - Rocket Wars on Chios

202631 minPGdocumentary

Every year, Chios hosts a spectacular pyrotechnic duel between two parishes, where thousands of homemade rockets light up the night before Orthodox Easter.

Genres

Channel: ARTE.tv Documentary

Greece - Rocket Wars on Chios

2026• 31 minPG

Synopsis

Every year, Chios hosts a spectacular pyrotechnic duel between two parishes, where thousands of homemade rockets light up the night before Orthodox Easter.

Synopsis

Rocket wars on the Greek island of Chios take place annually on the night before Orthodox Easter Sunday, featuring a spectacular pyrotechnic battle between two parishes. Known as "Rouketopolemos," this centuries-old tradition involves thousands of homemade rockets launched in a fierce competition. Despite its illegal status, the event attracts tourists and serves as a significant source of income for the island, blending cultural heritage with modern-day festivities.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Greek Islands (2025)

Greek Islands

220 islands make up the Cyclades, where white houses resemble snowcapped mountains and local traditions thrive alongside stunning landscapes.

Greece - After the Wildfires (2026)

Greece - After the Wildfires

In August 2025, wildfires devastated northern Chios, leaving residents feeling abandoned by authorities as they grapple with the aftermath of the destruction.

Greece - After the Wildfires

Planet Earth: Greece (2024)

Planet Earth: Greece

Greece's Aegean Sea, rich in myths and history, is explored through the eyes of a tale collector, a nomadic artist, and a mountain climber living on Olympus.

Planet Earth: Greece

A Greek Island's WWII History (2025)

A Greek Island's WWII History

Leros, a Greek island, reflects on its World War II history marked by occupation, shipwrecks, and ongoing efforts to preserve its complex legacy.

A Greek Island's WWII History

Greece : Athens And The Islands (2016)

Greece : Athens And The Islands

Athens showcases a blend of modernity and archaeological wealth, while the Greek islands reveal their unique lifestyles and exceptional quality of life.

Greece : Athens And The Islands

Who is to Blame for the 2018 Attica Wildfires? (2018)

Who is to Blame for the 2018 Attica Wildfires?

The 2018 Attica wildfires in Greece claimed 99 lives, exposing failures in crisis management, infrastructure, and the impact of climate change and austerity.

Who is to Blame for the 2018 Attica Wildfires?

Living In The Wake Of Devastation (2018)

Living In The Wake Of Devastation

The Greek wildfires of 2018 devastated Mati, killing 99 people and prompting Melbourne's Greek community to raise funds for recovery and support efforts.

Living In The Wake Of Devastation

Being Greek - Greece (2008)

Being Greek - Greece

Muslim workers in Greece protest mistreatment ahead of the 2004 Olympics in August.

Being Greek - Greece

Re: Volunteer Doctors in the Aegean - ARTE (2026)

Re: Volunteer Doctors in the Aegean - ARTE

In the Cyclades, over 200 inhabited islands face limited healthcare access, prompting volunteer doctors to establish pop-up clinics on Serifos.

Re: Volunteer Doctors in the Aegean - ARTE

Welcome To Lesbos (2020)

Welcome To Lesbos

Lesbos faces a complex crisis as the aftermath of a devastating fire at Europe's largest refugee camp highlights tensions between locals and asylum seekers.

Welcome To Lesbos

Explore Greece - Rocket Wars on Chios

Browse more like this

Greek Islands (2025)

Greek Islands

220 islands make up the Cyclades, where white houses resemble snowcapped mountains and local traditions thrive alongside stunning landscapes.

No digital watch option in your country

Planet Earth: Greece (2024)

Planet Earth: Greece

Greece's Aegean Sea, rich in myths and history, is explored through the eyes of a tale collector, a nomadic artist, and a mountain climber living on Olympus.

Planet Earth: Greece

No digital watch option in your country

A Greek Island's WWII History (2025)

A Greek Island's WWII History

Leros, a Greek island, reflects on its World War II history marked by occupation, shipwrecks, and ongoing efforts to preserve its complex legacy.

A Greek Island's WWII History

No digital watch option in your country

Love and Revolution (2018)

Love and Revolution

2018•1h26m•★10.0TMDB

Ten years after the Greek crisis riots, young activists in Thessaloniki protest against the auctioning of foreclosed homes to protect their communities.

Love and Revolution

Kristos, The Last Child (2022)

Kristos, The Last Child

2022•1h30m•★7.2TMDB

Thirty inhabitants live on the remote island of Arki, where Kristos, the last child, must decide whether to leave for a larger island to continue his education.

Kristos, The Last Child

Lux Santa (2023)

Lux Santa

2023•1h15m•★8.2TMDB

Teenagers along the Ionian Sea gather to celebrate St. Lucy's fire, a tradition that has persisted for over a thousand years.

Party Island: Summer in Zante (2022)

Party Island: Summer in Zante

2022•47m•★6.4TMDB

Zante's beaches welcomed thousands of young British holidaymakers in the summer of 2021, as local workers navigated the bustling tourism scene.

Party Island: Summer in Zante

Dollars for a Saint (2013)

Dollars for a Saint

2013•57m•★6.0TMDB

A five-day Dionysian festival at Pentecost celebrates the coexistence of local residents and gypsies in Messolonghi, Greece, honoring their shared history.

Dollars for a Saint

I Lieri Tj'O Charos (2026)

I Lieri Tj'O Charos

2026•19m•★10.0TMDB

Evangelos recounts his firsthand experiences during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, sharing insights for the first time in over five decades.

I Lieri Tj'O Charos

The Potentiality of Storming Heaven (2009)

The Potentiality of Storming Heaven

A police bullet kills 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Exarcheia, igniting riots across Athens that last throughout the night.

The Potentiality of Storming Heaven

Cleoniki (2020)

Cleoniki

Eight children live with centenarian Cleoniki in the mountains of Evrytania as they prepare for the traditional “Sotiros” feast that brings the village to life.

Greece on the Brink (2014)

Greece on the Brink

Seven years into recession, Greece faces a deepening crisis that affects its financial, social, and political stability.

Greece on the Brink

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →