The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more
Skip to content Accessibility

The Trenches

This animated short by Claude Cloutier is a pictorial account of an attack on Canadian soldiers during WWI. On the edge of the battlefield, recruits are dreading the order to attack. At the signal, a young soldier leaps into a hell of fire and blood where the earth engulfs both the living and the dead. Blending archival images and Cloutier’s hypnotizing brushstroke, the film is a dazzling illustration of the futility of war.
Your rental expires on
None
You've already purchased this film.
Download it from My purchases.

Extras

Details

This animated short by Claude Cloutier is a pictorial account of an attack on Canadian soldiers during WWI. On the edge of the battlefield, recruits are dreading the order to attack. At the signal, a young soldier leaps into a hell of fire and blood where the earth engulfs both the living and the dead. Blending archival images and Cloutier’s hypnotizing brushstroke, the film is a dazzling illustration of the futility of war.

War, Conflict and Peace All subjects
  • script
    Claude Cloutier
  • animation
    Claude Cloutier
  • direction
    Claude Cloutier
  • computer graphics
    Nicolas Brault
    Benoît Chagnon
    Emmanuel Suquet
  • editing
    José Heppell
  • sound design
    Olivier Calvert
  • musical adaptation
    Nathalie Boileau
  • music - performance
    L'Ensemble Cinématique
  • camera
    Éric Barbeau
  • actor
    Gabriel Boileau-Cloutier
  • costumes
    Francesca Chamberland
    Sylvie Charbonneau
    Sylvie Guillard
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
  • recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • music editing
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • voice director
    Natalie Hamel-Roy
  • foley
    Lise Wedlock
  • foley assistant
    Wendy Ouellette
  • voice
    Marc-André Bélanger
    David Laurin
    Martin Watier
    Patrick Chouinard
    Alexandre Fortin
    Guillaume Champoux
  • digital imaging specialist
    Pierre Plouffe
    Susan Gourley
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • online editing
    Denis Pilon
  • technical support
    Isabelle Painchaud
  • special advisor
    Marcel Jean
  • historical research
    Jocelyne Perrier
  • marketing manager
    Christine Noël
  • administrator
    Diane Régimbald
  • administrative team
    Diane Ayotte
    Michèle Labelle
    Karine Desmeules
  • technical coordinator
    Julie Laperrière
  • line production
    Francine Langdeau
  • executive producer
    René Chénier
  • producer
    Marc Bertrand

Education

Ages 10 to 13

Notes

This short film introduces students to the horrors of war through the silent testimony of a young officer. Ask students to describe the physical and psychological consequences of events such as those described in the film. Research various conflicts – in particular the First World War.

More educational content

The Trenches
Purchase options
Licence Information
Already paid to see this film?
Licence Information
Download licence details
Personal & Single-Classroom Use

Who it’s for:

Individuals watching for personal use, and parents or teachers wishing to screen a film for a single class in Canada.

What it allows:

  • Private, personal viewing in Canada and worldwide.
  • Screening the film for a single class in Canada.
  • Downloading and watching offline.

What it does not allow:

  • Screenings or events for multiple classes, school boards, or campus-wide events.
  • Community, public or institutional screenings or events.

Bonus materials are not included with the downloaded film.

Institutional Use

Who it's for:

Organizations, government departments, businesses and non-profits. For other institutions seeking licensing options, please contact info@nfb.ca .

What it allows:

  • Internal screenings for employees, members or patrons.
  • Screenings open to the public on the organization’s premises, with no admission fee and outside the commercial cinema circuit.
Looking to host a one-time public screening instead?

Who it's for:

Public libraries, community groups, NGOs and other organizations wishing to host a one-time public screening in Canada with no admission fee.

How to request a screening:

Complete the “Request to screen an NFB film” form.

For any questions, email communityscreenings@nfb.ca.

Streaming restrictions

Films purchased as downloads (DTO) cannot be hosted on a streaming server without prior authorization.

To request permission to add these films to an institutional or educational streaming server, contact info@nfb.ca.