07 Jul The new documentary “For Crete and Freedom: The Path Towards Union” by the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” screened in the U.S. for the first time outside of Greece
At the 49th Convention of the Pancretan Association of America, currently taking place in West Palm Beach, Florida, the new documentary “For Crete and Freedom: The Path Towards Union” by the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos” was screened for the first time outside of Greece.
Cretans from across the U.S. and their friends attending the convention watched the screening with great interest on Friday, June 20, 2025. The President of the American Branch of the Eleftherios Venizelos Foundation and President of the World Council of Cretans, Mr. Nikos Kastrinakis, who introduced the documentary, stated: “It is a special honor for us to present this new documentary of the Foundation for the first time outside of Greece. It is very important to know our history, and it is our responsibility to pass it on to the next generations. Our experience has shown that the Foundation’s documentaries serve this purpose excellently and are especially impactful and effective among second and third-generation youth in the diaspora.” The President of the Pancretan Association of America, Mrs. Diane (Diamanta) Kounalakis, said:“It was a truly inspiring documentary, full of emotion and profound meaning, that moved us all. All our members in the Pancretan Association of America felt pride in witnessing it for the first time. We thank the Venizelos Foundation for this truly great honor.”
The 45-minute documentary “For Crete and Freedom: The March Towards Union”, produced by the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”, highlights the major milestones in Crete’s historic journey, from the Daskalogiannis Revolution (1770) to the island’s Union with Greece (1913). The film includes footage shot at historic sites and features rare archival material (from the archives of the Eleftherios Venizelos Foundation, the Hellenic Parliament, and the Elias Giannakakis collection), which is presented using modern visual techniques that animate still images. Of particular interest is a rare film documenting the attempt by Cretan MPs in 1912 to enter the Greek Parliament.
The documentary features commentary by: Roderick Beaton, Emeritus Professor at King’s College London and Chair of the British School at Athens, Rea Galanaki, author, Lena Divani, author and former professor at the University of Athens Law School,
and Nikolaos Papadakis-Papadis, General Director of the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos”.
The script and direction are by Ilias Yannakakis, narration by Konstantinos Kamaras, and scientific advisors Nikolaos Papadakis-Papadis and Giorgos Koukourakis.
The documentary was completed with the support of the Region of Crete and the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”. Sponsors include Iraklis Prokopakis and Danaos Shipping, and ETANAP Samaria.
Award-winning director Ilias Yannakakis has produced over 300 documentaries (cultural, historical, and sports content) and fiction films. He was one of the main directors of the legendary ERT documentary series “Paraskinio” and has collaborated with public television, the Benaki Museum, the National Library of Greece, the Onassis Foundation, Cosmote TV, among others.