https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/1514889d-5d2d-47cf-a856-9fff3c0ff590 Made in 1951, "The Story of Koula" is one of the Marshall Plan films. It tells the story of how the USA shipped mules to Greece, in an effort to halt the deterioration of the social order and economy, to prop up the democratic government and prevent the collapse of the nation into a Communist state. The film neatly exemplifies the capacity of Europe to ‘talk back’ to the USA within the framework of cultural aid programs. In the film, the big Dixie mule shipped from the US to Greece does not take readily to working the land in its new home... A small Greek boy hitches a local donkey to the American mule to show him the ropes. This is a witty metaphor for the limits to American power, even if Europe had cause to be grateful for the assistance given under the Marshall Plan. The story follows a young Greek boy named Kakas, who lives with his mother and grandfather in a small village recovering from the hardships of war. Kakas, an animal lover, dreams of owning a donkey and hopes his family will receive one of the mules being distributed through the American Marshall Plan. His grandfather is eventually selected to receive a mule, and Kakas accompanies him on a long journey to collect it. At the distribution site, Kakas becomes attached to a particular mule he names Koula, but another man draws its number. Moved by Kakas's disappointment and the mule’s spirited nature, the villagers agree to trade and give Koula to Kakas's grandfather. Though initially seen as too young to manage Koula, Kakas proves he has a special bond with animals and successfully handles the stubborn mule. When Koula struggles with plowing, Kakas cleverly pairs him with a smaller companion to boost his motivation. In the end, Koula and Kakas work well together, and as other farmers also learn to manage their American mules, life across the Greek countryside begins to improve. 0:00 Main titles – The story begins in a small Greek village where a boy named Kakas lives with his mother and grandfather. The community works hard in the fields, especially those without animals to help. 2:34 – Kakas loves animals and is especially fond of his goat and dog. He dreams of owning a donkey and has even chosen a name—Koula. 3:20 – His family lost their animals in the war. Kakas hopes to receive one of the donkeys or mules being sent from America through the Marshall Plan. 4:03 – A committee selected villagers in need, including Kakas’s grandfather, to receive mules. Time passed, and nothing happened, but Kakas remained hopeful. 6:26 – News finally arrives: Kakas’s grandfather is to receive a mule, and a ship has arrived in the port of Kavala carrying animals from the U.S. 7:24 – The mules are large and unfamiliar to the Greek farmers. Unloading them proves difficult due to their size and temperament after the long voyage. 8:18 – The mules are trucked to various towns, including one near Kakas’s village, for distribution. 9:08 – On the appointed day, Kakas is allowed to accompany his grandfather to collect the mule. It’s a long journey, and the family is excited. 11:08 – Arriving in the city, Kakas is fascinated by its size and shops. At the mule enclosure, he disobeys instructions and explores. 12:07 – Kakas spots the mule he wants—Koula—and falls in love with it instantly. 13:08 – The mules are assigned by a random drawing. Kakas watches as another man draws Koula’s number and is heartbroken. 14:18 – The villagers, seeing Kakas’s disappointment and knowing the mule’s spirit is hard to handle, agree to trade animals. Kakas gets Koula. 15:34 – Despite his joy, Kakas is not allowed to handle Koula alone—his grandfather insists the animal is too dangerous. 16:27 – Kakas proves everyone wrong by calmly handling Koula when no one else can. He understands the animal's needs. 17:39 – He realizes that mules, like people, need to be treated with patience and respect. They become stubborn if ignored or mistreated. 18:10 – Kakas struggles to get Koula to plow—the mule seems uninterested and distracted. 19:15 – He gets an idea: Koula needs a friend. With a smaller teammate beside him, Koula begins to adjust. 20:23 – Though progress is slow, Kakas regains his touch. The animals work better together. 21:20 – Eventually, Koula and Kakas succeed. As other farmers adapt to their new mules, life in Greece becomes easier and more hopeful. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. We collect, scan and preserve 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have films you'd like to have scanned or donate to Periscope Film, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the link below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaY3pytADQk Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:25:02 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/1514889d-5d2d-47cf-a856-9fff3c0ff590 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.