A War Story

A War Story

| 1 h 21 min
Free
streaming

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Based on the diaries of Canadian doctor Ben Wheeler during his internment in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, this feature-length docudrama is a glowing account of the spirit and its will to survive physical and mental suffering. The film is comprised of newsreel footage, interviews and dramatic re-enactments.

This film deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised

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A War Story, Anne Wheeler, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • director
    Anne Wheeler
  • producer
    Anne Wheeler
  • script
    Anne Wheeler
  • executive producer
    Tom Radford
    Michael Scott
  • cinematography
    Robert Nichol
    Ron Orieux
  • sound
    Ralph Parker
    Michèle Lalonde
  • editing
    Ray Harper
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel
  • narrator
    Donald Sutherland
    Anne Wheeler
  • music
    Maurice Marshall
  • cast
    Doug Bagot
    Rodrigue Deschênes
    David Edney
    W. Forrest MacDonald
    Cecil Grinstead
    Doug Kier
    Patrick McGuigan
    Allan Stebbings
    Dean Stoker
    Frank Turner
    Gerry Whelpton
    Tom Whitton

  • None

    I heard your interview on CBC, this afternoon. I remembered your name, and as you spoke about " the bald prairies", and that your Father served in WW11, I knew it had to be Ann Wheeler, from Ross Sheppard. I will certainly watch A War Story. Congratulations on all your success.

    None, 17 Nov 2020
  • None

    My father, Harold Bowkett was in kinkasaki, always spoke fondly of Major Wheeler. It was wonderful to see again, two important figures from my childhood,namely Jack Edwards and David Donnelly who were livelong friends of my dad.

    None, 12 Oct 2018
  • dwyllie49

    Thank you again NFB for the wonderful work you do, these films always amaze me,thank you so much for showing us that the will to live is so strong and with a few smart people some tools and a bit of food there isnt much we cant do to survive

    dwyllie49, 3 Nov 2012
  • wons

    a must visit to this link about the memorial park at the camp site in Taiwan. It's in Chinese. I believe this was the camp that Mr. Jack Edwards visited as mentioned by rodmartin downstairs. http://blog.udn.com/lucywu3984/5662769

    wons, 27 Sep 2011
  • wons

    any interested people may visit: http://blog.udn.com/lucywu3984/5676146

    wons, 27 Sep 2011
  • wons

    I feel shamed that I did not know all about this, because Gin Gua Shi was the mine town I visited often in my childhood. Yes, not only the capatives' descendants should be aware of what happened, the whole world should be aware of, including Japanese themselves. So the war and the same killing will not happen again to anyone.

    wons, 27 Sep 2011
  • rodmartin

    My father was in the original 525 who arrived in Taiwan on the England Maru in November 1942 and were sent to Kinkaseki. He was lucky enough to survive the mine and was transported to Japan in February 1945. Using his own information (that included many poems created by soldiers), the books by Jack Edwards (of whom my father would often speak) and Arthur Titherington, and the research caried out by Michael Hurst, I wrote his story in 2004. My concern was that his descendants should know what he and his compatriots went through. My only regret was that he wasn't alive to see the finished work. I met and interviewed Jack Edwards in Hong Kong in 2000 and travelled to Taiwan for the memorial service at Kinkaseki in November 2001. None of us should forget! Rod Martin

    rodmartin, 1 Aug 2010
  • grannylin46

    Thank-You for sharing I am awed by the bravery of these men.

    grannylin46, 26 Feb 2010

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