FILM SCREENING ABOUT ĐORĐE MIHAILOVIĆ HELD IN FRANKFURT

FRANKFURT, NOVEMBER 30 /SRNA/ – A screening of the documentary film “Guardian of Honour and Pride” about Đorđe Mihailović, the custodian of the Serbian military cemetery Zejtinlik in Thessaloniki, was held today in the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord in Frankfurt.

Vera Sajić, Consul General of BiH in Stuttgart, emphasized that it is important for as many people as possible, especially young people and children, to hear and see a part of Serbian history that is a source of pride.

“In a packed hall in Frankfurt, we promoted the film about the legendary Grandpa Đorđe today. It was also an opportunity to meet our people, to talk, socialize, and share positive stories from our history, culture, and tradition,” Sajić, who is also the creator of the film, told SRNA.

Sajić reminded that the 25-minute film was financed by the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Greece, with the support of the Ministry for European Integration and International Cooperation and the Office of Republika Srpska President.

“Very few people knew about Grandpa Đorđe, which inspired me to create a film about him after he passed away. It is a beautiful, rare, and interesting story about a family that, for three generations, guarded the Serbian cemetery; very few can boast such a tradition. Đorđe’s grandfather founded the cemetery and, together with his comrades, began burying Serbian soldiers, while his son and grandson continued to guard it, clean it, maintain it, and welcome visitors,” Sajić explained.

She announced that she intends to visit as many associations as possible, noting that these events are a good opportunity to show the documentary and remind people of the Serbian heroes of the First World War.

The event was organised by the Serbian Educational and Cultural Society /SPKD/ “Prosvjeta” Germany and the Writers’ Association “Sedmica” from Frankfurt.

Zejtinlik, the Serbian military cemetery, is one of the holiest sites for the Serb people. More than 8,000 Serb soldiers who died in the First World War fighting for freedom are buried there. For half a century, their guardian Đorđe Mihailović watched over the thousands of graves of Serb warriors.

The last custodian from the Mihailović lineage, every morning before sunrise since 1960, wearing a military uniform, cleaned the cemetery, opened the iron gate, lit candles, and welcomed and escorted the descendants of the warriors who, after the terrible ordeal and breakthrough of the Salonika Front, found their eternal peace there.