Film info

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Description
The celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821 also known as Independence Day, takes place in Greece on 25 March every year, coinciding with the Feast of the Annunciation. In Greece, it has been established to be celebrated every year, as a national holiday, with parades of all branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces.

The film begins with the indication of the date on the cover of the Greek newspaper Kathimerini: Tuesday, March 25, 1975 and a photo from a parade.

A view with the Greek flag waving at the top of the Greek Parliament. With cinematographer’s zoom out, we get a general view of the Parliament’s building, as well as its courtyard, where a few people are passing by. The next view is the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens. Then we see people who start gathering to watch the parade that will come soon after.

In the Parliament’s courtyard, we watch lined up soldiers and photographers and among them the arrival of the Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis. We see hundreds of white doves, residents of the place all year round and just after that we see the President of the Republic Michael Stasinopoulos who leaves the Parliament. In the next views looks like he lays a wreath at the monument of the Unknown Soldier. Uniformed soldiers and photographers are constantly moving around. All the government officials have taken their places as the parade begins.

First, the three-colour jeeps parade, symbolising the three Hellenic Armed Forces: the Ground, the Naval and the Air Force. The army band plays as the parade continues with the war disabled people, the first of whom is Colonel Gikas Tripos with his wooden legs. Military helicopters fly in the sky. Motorcyclists, tanks, trucks with cannons, missiles and other firearms. We see again motorcyclists, motorists and we go back to the sky where we see a flight of Mirage (jet fighters).

The parade on the ground continues with people carrying flags - banners, as a forerunner to the Hellenic Army (Land Corps) that follows. Navy officers with their swords raised, sailors, navy commandos.

A view from across the road and Syntagma Square, where we see the label of the insurance company Interamerican, as well as a sign of Citibank. The parade continues, the cinematographer zooms in on two representatives of the military police, a little further down children who have watched the parade, one of them is dressed in a traditional costume. Next view is the parade from the nearby Grande Bretagne Hotel, including a sculpture from a hotel balcony. View of the Omega School complex.

The President of the Republic watches, from his pedestal, the parade that ends with the last presence of the military band who greets the Prime Minister and they leave.

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Film Information

Holder
Vernicos A. Nicolas

Quality
HD (1440x1080)

Sound
No

Color
Yes

Duration (seconds)
534

Format
Super 8mm