“February 1944 — A journey that began in Rhodes with the intended destination of Nazi concentration camps never reached its end for 4,155 people. The “living-dead” Italian prisoners of war were locked in the holds of the Norwegian steamship Oria when the vessel, caught in a violent storm, crashed into the islet of Patroklos (also known as Gaidouronisi), near Cape Sounio.”
“At the War Museum, the bell of the Oria, the captain’s binoculars, a few mess tins, a canteen, and some cutlery are on display — remnants of a World War II tragedy.
In a small Sicilian town, a black-and-white photograph framed on the wall watched over the childhood of Alfio Busa — a silent memory of the man who never returned.”
“Of the 4,046 Italian prisoners, 90 German guards on board, and the Oria’s crew, only 6 Italians, 21 Germans, the Norwegian captain, and one Greek engineer survived. Rescue ships arrived three days late due to the storm. All the others perished — including 21 Greek crew members. It stands as the fourth deadliest maritime disaster in world history, and the single greatest loss of life from the sinking of one ship in the Mediterranean.”
This is the story of a wreck discovered in 1999 by diver Aristotelis Zervoudis.
Based on texts by Nikos Kokkalis, Konstantinos Koutlianis, and Pierre Kosmidis.
Music playlist: 1) Στο βάθος του πνιγμού – ENCARDIA, 2) Η μπαλάντα του νεκρού στρατιώτη – Μαρία Φαραντούρη, 3) War is abstract – Electric Litany, 4) Μετά το ναυάγιο – Μιχάλης Τερζής, 5) Οι ψυχές – Going Through & Άλκηστις Πρωτοψάλτη, 6) When the war is over – J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton, 7) Θάλασσα λεβεντοπνίχτρα – Σούλα Πασαλάρη, 8) Ναυάγιο – Υπόγεια Ρεύματα, 9) Μνήμη της θάλασσας – Άνεμος (Anemos)