Movies by Brian McKenna
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Newfoundland at Armageddon
On July 1st, 1916, the Newfoundland Regiment took part in a massive First World War offensive on the Somme, led by the British. At Beaumont Hamel the regiment was nearly wiped out, as only 110 of 780 soldiers survived the day. To commemorate its 100th anniversary, Brian McKenna’s documentary film tells the story of this epic tragedy. Using a technique that brings new meaning to reenactment, McKenna recruits descendants of soldiers who fought this battle, offering them a unique opportunity to relive the experience of their ancestors in tren...
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The Great War
A historical recreation of the experience of Canadian soldiers in World War One, with a cast of descendants of the people who participated in it.
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In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944
A documentary, using dramatization of fact, that examines the Battle of Verrières Ridge, where on July 25, 1944 and not long after D-Day, an inexperienced battalion of the Canadian Black Watch Regiment launched a doomed attack and was defeated with heavy casualties by veteran German SS troops. Part of "The Valour and the Horror" mini series.
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A Savage Christmas: The Fall of Hong Kong
The documentary, using the dramatization of fact, makes the case that the Canadian government knowingly sent two unprepared infantry battalions to help defend Hong Kong in late 1941, fully aware that they may have been on a doomed mission. The C Force, consisting of about 2000 soldiers from the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada (from Quebec City) were, with the other British, Indian and Hong Kong troops, attacked on December 8, 1941 and overwhelmed by Japanese troops, leading to numerous casualties and the surrender on Chris...
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Battlefield Quebec: Wolfe & Montcalm
Documentary about the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, part of the Seven Years War between Britain and France. Both leaders, Wolfe and Montcalm, died in the battle, which decided control over what would become Canada. Includes re-enactments of the battle and the personalities of the two commanders. For two months Montcalm and Quebec City endured English bombardments. However, in what the documentary describes as an exceptionally well planned operation during the night of September 12th, Wolfe got 4500 men and two cannons up L’...
Gary Carter Visits Japan
Montreal Expos star catcher Gary Carter visits Japan to learn about the customs and traditions of baseball in the Far East. He also encounters other "foreign" baseball players he once played with in the MLB.
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Fire and Ice: The Rocket Richard Riot
In 1955, as a hotly contested hockey season was coming to an end, the star of the Montreal Canadiens, Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, was suspended for attacking an opponent with a stick and hitting a referee by then president of the NHL Clarence Campbell. This set off a huge riot in the streets of Montreal. The documentary claims, unconvincingly, that this event added to the sparks of the political revolution in Quebec that led to the rise of the separatist movement.
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Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command
A documentary that uses dramatizations based on fact to tell the story of Canadian air crew in Canadian bomber squadrons under British command during World War II. Posits Royal Air Force Bomber Command "deliberately hid the truth" about RAF bomber crew survival rates, concealed plans about deliberately annihilating civilians, and betrayed the trust of Canadian military airmen. Part of "The Valour and the Horror" mini-series.