A tribute to the combatants in the First World War, this film traces the conflict through the war diary and private letters of five Canadian soldiers and a nurse. Hearing them, the listener detects between the lines an unspoken horror censored by war and propriety.
The film mingles war footage, historical photos and readings of excerpts from the diary and letters. The directorial talent of Claude Guilmain breathes life into these 90-year-old documents and accompanying archival images so that we experience the human face and heart of the conflict.
For the educational sector, five documentary vignettes have been drawn from the film: Nurses at the Front, The Officer's Role, The Life of the Soldier, Faith and Hope and The Trenches, each with further information on its particular subject.
Ages 14 to 17
English Language Arts - CanLit
History - World War I
Media Education - Journalism/News
Of interest to teachers of the history of World War I with a focus on the men and women on the front lines. Discuss the great emotional toll on the Canadian soldiers as they witnessed the atrocities of war. Compare their lives with the lives of the officers whose task it was to keep up morale, while forced to keep a tally of losses and casualties. Have students comment on the role of nurses and highlight their immense value to the war effort. Discuss the horrors and terror of trench warfare. Have students comment on the religious belief and faith displayed by those involved in the war and the value of communication with loved ones at home.