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The Kid Who Couldn't Miss

Paul Cowan's feature-length film combines fiction and reality to tell the story of how William Avery (Billy) Bishop became one of the leading fighter pilots of World War I. By no accounts a biography of Billy Bishop, the film uses a 'docu-drama' approach to show how one person goes from being a brash kid from Ontario to Canada's most decorated military figure.
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Paul Cowan's feature-length film combines fiction and reality to tell the story of how William Avery (Billy) Bishop became one of the leading fighter pilots of World War I. By no accounts a biography of Billy Bishop, the film uses a 'docu-drama' approach to show how one person goes from being a brash kid from Ontario to Canada's most decorated military figure.

War, Conflict and Peace All subjects
  • director
    Paul Cowan
  • producer
    Paul Cowan
  • camera
    Paul Cowan
  • executive producer
    Adam Symansky
  • sound
    Richard Nichol
    James McCarthy
  • editing
    Paul Cowan
    Sidonie Kerr
  • sound editing
    Jackie Newell
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel
    Adrian Croll
  • animation
    Meilan Lam
  • narrator
    William Hutt
  • music
    Ben Low
  • cast
    Eric Peterson
    John Gray

Education

Ages 15 to 17

School Subjects

History - World War I

Notes

Pre-viewing: Define “docu-drama” and consider how this genre differs from documentary. Brainstorm students’ prior knowledge of World War I and Canadian flying ace Billy Bishop. Discuss the term “dog fighting,” as it was used during this war. Discuss the relevance of the following quote: “Because Bishop flew many of his patrols alone, most of his victories were never witnessed”, (source). Have students comment on the mystery surrounding Bishop’s supposed raid on Estourmel near the end of World War I.

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The Kid Who Couldn't Miss
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