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Description
We are in Messolonghi, the capital of western Central Greece and the seat of the Municipality of the Iera Polis Messolongiou (Sacred Town of Missolonghi).

The film opens outside the Metropolitan Church of Saint Spyridon with the celebration of Palm Sunday and the anniversary of the heroic siege of the Greek Rebels by the Ottoman Empire. From April 1859 until today, every year on the night of Lazarus and in the morning of Palm Sunday, a mourning procession begins, starting from Saint Spyridon and ending at the Monument of the Fallen. The celebrations for the “exodus” take place every year in Messolonghi in honor of the siege of Messolonghi. The participants in the procession dress in traditional costumes and with mournful gait, accompany the icon of the siege of Messolonghi. It is the most important local holiday which is honored by the presence of many political figures, not only from Greece but also from other countries. We see that the church is full of people, soldiers of the navy forces and the philharmonic orchestra playing.

We are then transferred to the Garden of Heroes with the place being suffocatingly full of people and the filmmaker focusing on the Tomb of the Fallen as well as the marble lion at the top of the Tomb. We see part of the procession and then the lens stands on a flaming sign that reads “Messolonghi”.

The view changes with shots from the parade the next morning. The camera shows us the groups that parade, among the scouts, tsoliades, groups with traditional costumes, a group that holds a banner in the shape of Cyprus, the philharmonic orchestra, as well as the army’s orchestra. Afterwards, we see the procession of the icon of the siege of Messolonghi with the archbishop of Aetolia and Acarnania Theoklitos, soldiers and the President of the Republic Konstantinos Tsatsos following.

The film closes with a shot from the Garden of Heroes with soldiers of the Greek Army Corps lined up on the right and left and the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Fallen by Konstantinos Tsatsos.

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Film Information

Holder
Tsamadias Spyros

Quality
HD (1440x1080)

Sound
Yes

Color
Yes

Duration (seconds)
596

Format
Super 8mm