Crete-based director, Lefteris Giannakoudakis, is turning the iconic war story of NZ soldier, Private Ted d’Auvergne, into a documentary, stuff.co.nz reports.
Private d’Auvergne left Waimate, NZ in 1939 for World War II, vowing to return to finish a beer he left at the bar of the Waihao Forks Hotel.
He sadly died on June 3, 1914 on the Greek island of Crete after being injured in battle and the bottle of beer he left behind remains on display in a glass case in the hotel.
Giannakoudakis told stuff.co.nz he wanted to share d’Auvergne’s story after he heard about it from his friend and beer expert, Antonis Kadifedakis, two years ago.
READ MORE: A story told is a life lived: The Battle of Crete.
“I was really excited about Ted’s story and the fact that the local people of Waihao Forks keep his memory alive by having the bottle still in the pub,” Giannakoudakis said.
Since then, the Greek director has focused his documentary on d’Auvergne’s story, including the tribute that a Greek historian, Kostis Mamalakis, pays him by leaving a bottle of beer each year at his grave in Suda Bay Cemetery, and the effort of Notos Microbrewery who want to create “Ted’s Beer,” in his honour.
“My goal is to make people wonder about memory, life and death via Ted’s unique story,” Giannakoudakis said.
The documentary will show at an event organised by the Crete Region and the Municipality of Heraklion, in Crete at the beginning of July.
READ MORE: Lefteris Lambrakis: Battle of Crete exhibition shows the “incomparable heroism of our ancestors”.
