DESCENDANTS OF CANADIAN VETERANS STAR IN EPIC FIRST WORLD WAR DOCUMENTARY
THE GREAT WAR; AIRS APRIL 8 AND 9 AT 8 P.M. ON CBC-TV
Between 1914 and 1918, when Canada was scarcely more than a British colony, 590,000 of its eight million inhabitants heeded the call to war. During the grief and glory of the First World War, nearly half of these troops were killed or wounded, leaving virtually every Canadian family touched by the event. Across the country, stories of bravery, close calls, broken hearts and patriotism have been passed down from generation to generation.
It is these stories that inspired THE GREAT WAR, airing Sunday, April 8 and Monday, April 9 at 8 p.m. on CBC Television (Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBC Newsworld). A companion production, THE GREAT WAR EXPERIENCE, follows First World War descendants as they participate in this two-week living history project. THE GREAT WAR EXPERIENCE airs Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. CBC Television (Sunday, April 15 at 8 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld).
In 2005, CBC Television and Galafilm put out a call to descendants of Canadian First World War soldiers to participate in the living history component of the Great War project. Over 6,500 Canadians applied and 150 made the final cut to take part in vivid battle recreations, and to experience what their ancestors went through in the killing grounds of Europe.
Of the 150, 14 descendants were chosen for a special mission-to travel to the battlefields of England, France and Belgium where their ancestors fought and sometimes gave their lives. In documentary style, THE GREAT WAR follows the 14 young men and women-representing a cross-section of Canada-as they voyage through time to understand their ancestors’ experience as soldiers and nurses at the front. Among them are: Greg Kelley, great great-grandson of army chaplain Canon Frederick Scott; Patrice Blais, grandson of Van Doo member Ernest Lamarche; Stephen Thompson, grandson of one of the very few black Canadian soldiers, Dana Thompson; John Moses, grand-nephew of aboriginal soldier James Moses; Kelly O’Donnell, great great-niece of nursing sister A. Maude Sterling; and Kate Sarsfield, great-niece of Talbot Mercer Papineau. Viewers will watch as the great-grandchildren relive the horror of that time and how they are transformed by it.
“The concept is an unusual one, but it is incredibly moving to watch these young people see war through the eyes of their great-grandparents,” says director Brian McKenna. “THE GREAT WAR tells the stories of our veterans through their direct descendants and allows the descendants to experience the brutalities of war first-hand-something that many in this generation cannot conceive of.”
THE GREAT WAR also dramatizes the poignant stories of the war’s greatest heroes for Canada: Talbot Mercer Papineau (played by Justin Trudeau), who died a hero at Passchendaele, one of the deadliest battles of the war for Canada; Chaplain Canon Scott (played by Michael Rudder), who had to bury his own son killed in battle; Ernest Lamarche (played by Maxime Cournoyer), who fought with the Van Doos, the only French speaking regiment in the British army.
The epic battle re-enactments of THE GREAT WAR, filmed in rural Quebec, would never have happened without the participation of the 150 descendants. As with real war, the young volunteers lived in an encampment and marched into the trenches to fight the battles their ancestors fought. Their living history experience brings to life the five major Canadian battles of the war: St. Julien, Beaumont-Hamel, Courcelette, Vimy and Passchaendale.
The Great War is a new concept in historical storytelling. It weaves together a tapestry of perspectives, and will give audiences a deeper sense of this defining event in Canada’s past.
Produced by Galafilm (executive producer Arnie Gelbart and producers Natalie Dubois, Stephen Phizicky and Janet Torge) in conjunction with the CBC, THE GREAT WAR was conceived and directed by award-winning filmmaker Brian McKenna (BIG SUGAR).
The telecast of THE GREAT WAR coincides with Canada’s re-dedication of the refurbished Vimy Memorial in France-on the 90th anniversary of the battle.
Full schedule recap:
CBC Television
Sunday, April 8 at 8 p.m. The Great War - Part 1 (2 hrs.)
Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. The Great War Experience (1 hr.)
Monday, April 9 at 8 p.m. The Great War - Part 2 (2 hrs.)
CBC Newsworld
Saturday, April 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT The Great War - Part 1 (2 hrs.)
Sunday April 15 at 8 p.m. ET The Great War Experience (1 hr.)
Sunday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT The Great War - Part 2 (2 hrs.)
