All language subtitles for Venice 24-7 6of6 The Grand Finale 720p HDTV_Subtitles01.ENG

Venice. One of the most stunning
cities on earth.

Over 50,000 tourists arrive here
each day for the carnival,

culture and canals.

But what they don't see
is how this city works.

This is Venice from the inside.

Around the clock,

emergency teams fight to keep a city
built on water safe and working.

ALARM BELL RINGS

With unprecedented access to police,
fire and medical teams, we come

face-to-face with the unique daily
challenges and life-and-death drama.

Up to yesterday evening,
she was all right

and this morning,
she was found non-responsive.

This is Venice 24/7, where
the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

It's the middle of summer,

and temperatures are soaring
into the 30s.

As the city swelters,
Venetians and visitors prepare

to pack the canals and cool off
for the city's own celebration -

il Redentore.

Meaning "the Redeemer",

this religious festival
dates back 500 years.

Today, though, it's less about piety
and more about the party.

There are lavish fireworks,
food and plenty of drink.

Canals are so packed with boats,
they say you can walk across them

from one side to the other.

The festival today may be about
big bangs and marine revellers,

but for some, like Father Andrea,
a Capuchin friar,

the Redentore's religious origins
haven't been forgotten.

TRANSLATION FROM ITALIAN:

Palladio's Santissimo Redentore
Church was built in divine gratitude

and marries
the religions of East and West.

Venice saw itself as a gateway
to the East, linked by trade.

It was trade which brought
the city to power

and then, with some unwelcome cargo,
to its knees.

The religious significance
of the church symbolises
the resurrection of the city

and it's still a place of pilgrimage
today.

For two days, the church will be
linked to the rest of Venice

by a specially built
temporary bridge,

allowing
thousands of worshippers to come.

It's from here that the celebration
will kick off in 24 hours' time.

With less than a day
until the party starts,

the city is packed,
and the temperature has soared.

At the city's hospital,
they get a call-out.

A yellow code is
the second most serious.

For Dr Michele Alzetta, head
of the Venetian ambulance service,

summer in the city
is especially challenging.

SIREN SOUNDS

Apparently, a person
lost consciousness in a shop.

They called the 118 service.

With the heat, of course,

you have people suffering from
heat stroke and things like that.

Because in Venice people tend
to walk a lot and it's hot,

they sweat,
maybe they don't drink enough.

On their way to the patient,
the crew are slowed down.

Recent storms mean the canals are
swollen, and access is difficult.

GRINDING NOISE

GRINDING NOISE

We just managed to scrape
underneath that bridge,

but the tide is rising,

so I don't know if we'll manage to
make it back through the same place.

It depends how long we'll be
staying on the spot with the patient.

The collapsed patient has regained
consciousness

but is suffering from
high blood pressure.

Hello.

What do you take
for high blood pressure?

We'll take a vein,
just to keep you under control.

Did you lose consciousness
completely or not?

Although the man takes pills
for high blood pressure,

it seems he's been taking another
kind of medication.

Are you allergic to anything? No.
Breathe with your mouth open.

They fear the man might have
suffered a heart attack,

so Dr Alzetta decides
to take him to the hospital.

No, no, don't stand up.
We'll put you seated.

As the main canal routes are packed,

the ambulance struggled to find
a place to moor.

Unfortunately, it means a longer
route back to their boat.

We had an episode of atypical chest
pain, but, although he's young,

he has several risk factors,
so he'll be kept under observation

in our intensive observation unit
in the emergency room.

The team will hand the patient over
to the cardiac specialists

and prepare for their next job.

There are over 400 bridges in the
city connecting Venice's districts.

The four most vital are those
crossing the Grand Canal,

including the famous Rialto.

For pedestrians,

the bridges are the quickest way
to navigate the city.

But for those unable to climb
the sometimes steep steps,

a short distance
can turn into a long wait.

ALARM BELL RINGS

The team are preparing to rescue
an elderly woman

trapped in a lift on a bridge
in Giudecca.

The lady has no water with her,
and it's 32 degrees.

They need to get to her quickly

before the heat
inside the lift becomes unbearable.

The firemen carry keys
to all of Venice's public lifts,

but with a numbering system
as erratic as the postcodes,

it could take a while
to find the right one.

Grazie.

Grazie.

In a city crisscrossed
by 176 canals,

bridges can be, as well as a help,
a daily hazard.

Bridges are essential
in keeping Venice moving

and have existed here for centuries.

Without them, the city's
six districts would be cut off

from one another, so maintaining
these walkways is critical.

Engineer Adriano Ercole
works with the company

responsible for maintaining the
infrastructure of this ancient city.

As they conceal essential
pipework for the city,

these bridges need to be
kept in good working order.

With 55 miles of canal banks
and 347 public bridges to maintain,

the team must work all year round.

At Venice's dockyard on the island
of Tronchetto, to the west of
the historic centre,

the highlight
of the Redentore is being prepared.

Antonio Parente is responsible
for the Festival fireworks,

a spectacular display lighting up
Venice from over 60 miles away.

We are ready to prepare
the firework show for Saturday night.

It's the Redentore party.

It's one of the oldest
events in Venice for fireworks

and for party,
for the people that live in Venice.

We have around...5,000 fireworks.

The fireworks are prepared here
before being transported to
the launch site in St Mark's Basin.

The operation is so dangerous
that the team will have their own
police escort.

The most delicate in that time
is the loading,

because we are managing fireworks.

The other section
a little bit dangerous

is the plugging in of
the connection of all the line,

because we are working with special
igniters that are very delicate.

The fireworks are loaded
into the launch tubes,
where they're then charged.

Antonio works with
a highly trained team.

The fireworks are covered
with aluminium to protect them

from the heat
and prevent early ignition.

But in this weather, electric storms
are common, posing a real hazard.

It's always dangerous,
but we need to stay away

and...to pray that no lightning falls
exactly on the barge.

This massive display, lasting
40 minutes and costing £100,000,

will light up the party
in less than 24 hours.

Venice wakes up
to the day of the Redentore.

While the city prepares,

the emergency services ready
themselves for another day's work.

Their first callout of the day
is from an elderly resident,
apparently trapped in her home.

Massimo Pierfederici, a fireman
with over 20 years' experience,

is in charge of today's shift.

SIREN SOUNDS

They're heading to the neighbouring
district of Cannaregio.

HORN SOUNDS

The local police are already at the
scene. They can hear the lady inside

but can't get into the apartment.

The flat faces the rear courtyard
of a restaurant, but before
they decide to force entry,

the team needs to know
how she's locked herself in.

The elderly woman is confused,

so the team decide to enter
through the bathroom.

But the window is too small, so a
more drastic solution is needed.

The team try to force the door open,

but the elderly lady
becomes agitated.

She thinks it's burglars,
so Massimo tries to reassure her.

After the shock, the lady needs
a tranquilliser - Italian style.

His colleagues successfully
open the door,

and Massimo delivers on his promise.

Mission accomplished,
the team can head back to base.

Nearby, work is underway
on the temporary bridge.

The specially built walkway delivers
thousands of people

to the Redentore church for the
duration of the two-day festival.

Over 300 metres long
and built across 25 wooden pontoons,

it takes a day to complete.

Before the middle section is put in,

blocking off the canal to very tall
ships, this last one slips through.

FOGHORN SOUNDS

At the dockyard, the fireworks
are ready to be transported

to their final position
in St Mark's Basin.

With over 5,000 fully primed
fireworks on board,

the rafts have to be pulled along
carefully by tugboat.

For every inch of the journey,
the police ride alongside.

And with the last boats
clearing the canal,

the final pieces of the bridge
can be pulled into position.

It seems some are already
in the party mood.

With celebrations just hours
from kicking off, the director

of Venice's Fire services,
Alessandra Bashar,
knows what chaos is in store.

Redentore is probably
the most important day of the year

for Venetians, for Venice.

With so many boats in the water,
it could be difficult to reach

the perfect point in a short time,

so we prefer to be there.

It's five o'clock -
the festival is about to begin.

Venice's emergency teams
assemble on the water as party boats

jockey for the best view
of the fireworks.

On the completed bridge,

the Bishop of Venice officially
opens the celebration.

The temporary bridge will bring
thousands of worshippers

to Palladio's Redentore church.

This may be an ancient religious
festival, but today,

it has a very 21st-century edge.

As the sun goes down,

tens of thousands of partygoers
pour onto the water.

Local police Commissioner
Giordano Zwin is preparing
for the long night ahead.

Giordano must ensure the waterways
don't get too congested,

but already
hundreds of boats are gathering.

Up to 5,000 boats, heaving with
young Venetians and tourists,
gather to celebrate.

It's still early, but some people
are already getting out of hand.

The main task for the police now
is to keep everyone away
from the explosive fireworks zone.

HE BLOWS HIS WHISTLE

For the police, this is one of the
most challenging nights of the year.

They must keep control of thousands
of young partygoers.

Revellers often tie
their boats together,
to create giant party rafts.

These block the waterways and drift
towards the fireworks zone.

The paramedics are also heading out.

And the first call-out
has already come through.

A man has passed out on one
of the boats, but the caller
wasn't clear about which one.

After a frantic search,

the paramedics finally think
they've located the right boat.

The patient is now conscious
but clearly a little worse for wear.

The team need to get the man
to the ambulance boat

where they can assess him,
away from the crowds.

The 118 team will help the man sober
up before escorting him to shore.

With the fireworks just moments
from being launched,

Giordano doesn't have long
to clear the area.

With an extra police boat
to lend a hand,

Giordano finally clears
the safety zone.

At last, as midnight approaches,
all eyes turn skywards.

It takes 35 pontoons to carry
the fireworks, and 15 staff

to oversee a performance
that leaves revellers awestruck.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

After the final celebration in a
packed year, it's business as usual

for those who live and work in the
city they call La Serenissima.

In Venice, it's like
working in a postcard,

but every place
is a special moment.

No, I would never change job.
This is the most interesting thing.

I am really happy with my job,
so it's OK for me.

I hope to be OK for it.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd