I believe this is something of a regular event in Crete. The story of the Kreipe abduction and then a ‘reenactment’ of the abduction on the actual spot it took place. The action starts at 2 minutes 20 seconds!
Don’t forget we have a whole section on these events and video as well:
Paddy talks about the abduction
General Kreipe, Paddy and the abduction gang on Greek TV 1972
more stories related to Ill Met by Moonlight
Patrick Leigh Fermor 
It is a pity that this video has been restricted on YouTube and is no longer readily available (anyone know an alternative source?) .
Since becoming aware of it we have seen further evidence that suggests strongly that this reenactment action takes place closer to the original spot that I and others had first thought.
There is a black and white film in German that is a reconstruction and Micky Akoumianakis takes part. This black and white film suggests that the You Tube re-enactment is accurate location wise (OK, we are talking not much more than 40 odd meters difference but for some of us such accuracy counts!) I hope one day we may be able to make this black and white film public.
Also, a black and white photo has emerged of another reconstruction showing the car’s location, and on the back of it, in what looks like Paddy’s handwriting, is a comment that says it is the exact spot meaning that the car would have swung a right before the junction with the old road (I suspect that the section of the Epar.Od Knossou -Charaka road,immediately from the memorial was not there in 1944)
If you use Google Earth then the exact spot would be 35 degrees 15’49.46 N , 25 degrees 10’58.95 East .You can see the road from Archanes coming from the west side of the new fast road and coming under the bridge there joining a road running to the east of the new fast road. The older road is sliced by the newer fast road.
Having committed myself to this location, I now expect even more new evidence to come along and cause further revision!!
PS. Apologies for the lack of progress revising the illmetbymoonlight site, still working on it and other matters.
If you read In Tearing Haste, the letters between Paddy and Debo Devonshire, it becomes clear, from his own words, that he is not entirely happy with aspects of the film.
Hi Tom! someone on FB’s PLF commented the following, regarding the movie “Sarah Fenton Bogarde was completely the wrong actor for the job. It’s true, Paddy really wasn’t fond of it. I wish someone would re-tell the story on screen the way it really should be told.” Do we have somewhere or someone recorded that he was unhappy about it? We know he didnt watch it, but… where and when did he express his unpleasure?
Alexandra – I don’t believe he ever wrote anything himself to say this, but that is the impression that many friends and family give. I think Sarah is a relation of Paddy’s (niece or great neice?) so she may have a better idea than most.
I do agree I thik a remake is overdue. It could be a great movie as long as Hollywood didn’t rewrite history again 🙂
Tom
fully aggree with a TRUE remake :-), the sooner the better. Time is distorting facts.Thank you, Tom
Tom
Once again you have come up with something completely new. Brilliant. I had no idea of the existence of this you tube video, or of the re-enactment. I will contact a Cretan friend or two to see if this is a regular event and if so when it happens.
By the by, this is the second only reference I have come across to this location with the ‘General’s car coming under the new road bridge from the Kounavi road. I had always believed, and still do, that it came along the road from Archanes and was stopped about 15 -20 meters to the left of this reenactment close to where the monument now is. I’ll have to get that clarified too!!
Tim – it would be good to follow up on this one. Perhaps the actual details as shown were constrained by location/audience sighting etc. Fun nevertheless!
by the way, I watched “Ill Met by Moonlight”. I have the DVD. A delight 🙂
I too always enjoy watching the film but, just for your information, the film countryside is not Crete but France and Italy. Pretty similar though.
and this photograph shows Dirk Bograde with Xan and Daphne Fielding enjoying a picnic in that same countryside
😉
are they “celebrating” this every year? 🙂