A powerful and poignant film in which families and friends of those who have died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq talk openly about their loved ones and their grief. Epic in scale and spanning seven years of war, this landmark three-hour film gives a rare insight into the personal impact and legacy of this loss.
Tommy's Christmas parcels are despatched to the Front in a fleet of trucks.
This intriguing and beautifully-shot newsreel features sea-faring heroes, feisty females and a generous lick of paint for a Mississippi steamship.
Battered, bandaged and playing croquet on crutches, wounded First World War soldiers get a break from the Western Front.
In 1980, Terry Fox continued his fight against bone cancer with the pursuit of a singular, motivating vision: to run across Canada. Three years after having his right leg amputated six inches above the knee after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Fox set out to cover more than a marathon’s distance each day until he reached the shores of Victoria, British Columbia. Anonymous at the start of his journey, Fox steadily captured the heart of a nation with his Marathon of Hope. However the 21-year old BC native's goal was not fame, but to spread awareness and raise funds for cancer research. After 143 days and two-thirds of the way across Canada, with the eyes of a country watching, Fox’s journey came to an abrupt end when newly discovered tumors took over his body
Documentary about life in the Welsh Guards regiment's Prince of Wales Company, led by Major Crispin Black. Filmmaker Molly Dineen gains unique access to the company as they protect an RUC police station during a tour of Northern Ireland in the mid '90s.
69 Infantry Brigade had a highly successful landing and now had to fight its way through German defences to its objectives eight miles away. It was here that the veteran warrior, Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, continued the actions that led to him receiving the only D Day Victoria Cross.Meanwhile, 231 Infantry Brigade,were attempting to recover the situation and fight through German strong points towards Arromanches and Point 54 ridge. These battles lacked the coordination between infantry and tanks achieved by 69 Brigade and were up against field grade German infantry. Hours behind schedule, the village of Ryes was taken. This allowed the much delayed second wave consisting of 56th and 151 Infantry Brigades to deploy and exploit the early successes, reaching the outskirts of Bayeux by dusk. Meanwhile, in the west, the hard pressed 231 Infantry Brigade and 47 Commando continued its advance through enemy held territory to Port en Bessin, Arromanches and the Longues sur Mer Battery.
First transmitted in 1977, this documentary follows three months in the life of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets (also known as the Black Mafia) as they move from their Dover barracks for a tour of duty at the Tower of London. The Royal Green Jackets are light infantry, trained to move fast. Above all they are riflemen and take pride in their reputation of being thinking fighting soldiers.
An actuality film from Oct 1899 of the Colstream Guards departing on the troop ship Gascon for the Boer War in South Africa.
Racing the Rez reveals the transformative potential of cross-country running at the team level. The story follows two rival high school teams focusing on five teens growing up on the Navajo and Hopi reservations — two distinct cultures but both richly steeped in the legacy of running as a powerful cultural tradition and a sport. Unfolding over two years of careful, patient observation, this documentary offers a rare view into the surprising complexity and diversity of contemporary reservation life, from the point of view of the young runners.
An actuality and reportage film. This film captures Lord Frederick Roberts (British Army rank Field Marshal) departing England for South Africa on 23rd December 1899, where he commanded British forces for a year in the Second Boer War. The ship in this film is the RMS Dunottar Castle. Going with Roberts is his chief of staff, Lord Kitchener, whose future role as Secretary Of State for War during World War One awaits him. This film was produced and distributed by the Warwick Trading Company, a London based company at its peak at this time, involved in the majority of British films.The Warwick Trading Company specialised in travel, reportage and actuality films and had substantial catalogues. Charles Urban had taken over as managing director in 1897 and was in that role when this film was produced. According to the BFI programme entry, the company had a large amount of resources already in South Africa. This meant they could capture historic moments as part of its Boer War coverage.
This final part takes us through the dramatic events when Wellington’s Anglo-Dutch Army aided by Blucher’s Prussians defeat Napoleon. The French army was outfought and Napoleon was out-generaled by Wellington. At Wavre Grouchy beat the Prussian rearguard before retreating to France. Meanwhile, the Anglo-Dutch army counted the bloody cost of the previous days fighting while Wellington wrote his controversial Waterloo Dispatch and the vengeful Prussians pursued the French towards Paris, leading to Napoleon's abdication and the occupation of the city by the Allies.
On the 31st Oct 1914 the Germans were on the cusp of victory at Ypres. troops of the German 30th and 54th Divisions had broken the line at Geluveldt to the east of Ypres.The German troops were fired with enthusiasm as the Kaiser was said to be watching their action. If they succeeded the way to Ypres and even the coast was open, the BEF would be destroyed. This is the story of the last British reserve the 2nd Worcesters who were ordered to counter attack and drive the Germans out of Geluveld. Their attack was a success and was described by Field Marshall French as the " The Charge that saved the Empire".
With the Battle of the Aisne grinding to a halt as trench warfare gradually set in, both the German and Allied commanders realised the dominance of the defensive, established by quick firing artillery and the machinegun, meaning that casualties in frontal attacks on a dug-in enemy were enormously heavy. Consequently, the armies sought to outflank the opposition by heading north in a set of manoeuvres known as the Race to the Sea. During this phase Field Marshal French insisted on redeploying the British Expeditionary Force to the Allied left, nearer the Chanel ports.
A "What if?" alternative history sees Nazi Germany prevailing in the second World War. First the occupiers establish their power bases, before they find themselves under attack from the underground resistance.
The story of two soldier-cameramen, Sgt Mike Lewis and Sgt Bill Lawrie, who witnessed the liberation of Belsen during the closing days of World War II.
The movie depicts the events from July until September of 1914 which led to the defeat of the German troops at the Marne. While Sebastian Haffner explains and comments on operations and decisions on the basis of situation maps, key scenes are depicted by actors. A main focus is thereby placed by Haffner onto the controversial mission of lieutenant-colonel Richard Hentsch who is said to have, during a war patrol to the various army high commands, contributed to the abortion of the operations significantly.
Troops play up for the camera in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.
Suffolk University's track & field coach, Will Feldman, sets out to win one last championship with his first recruiting class. During the season, Will spends each Saturday of the Spring on the road with the team as they endure setbacks, injuries, and doubt with the Championship approaching. When the day comes, Will watches as his first Suffolk athletes wear the uniform for the last time.
On the 6th June 1944, Maj Howard’s Coy of the OX & Bucks LI carried out one of the greatest and most successful small unit actions in history in capturing the two Orne Bridges as a precursor to D Day. The initial part of the film traces the development of the British Airborne Forces to the stage where they can play a major part in the allied plan to storm Hitler’s Fortress Europe. The BHTV team then tell the story of this heroic action and the equally heroic follow up actions of 7 Para in holding the bridges against the might of 21st Pz Div. This action exemplified the British soldier at his best whether in The Glider Pilot Regiment, The Glider Infantry ( Ox & Bucks)or the Parachute Regiment, all showed courage skill and commitment.