War graves at Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France.
(P. Ferguson image, September 2010)
I remember so many faces that have faded from view, the World War One veteran on Douglas Street, the medic, the man who made jam can grenades at Gallipoli, and flyers from the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force. There were many others and now, though they are gone, memory carries their endeavors forward. Their stories propel us, live on in the stories we write, the displays we build and the films we create.
It is more than 30 years ago when I first started to walk the stacks of the local university library and flip through the pages of regimental and unit histories, as well as school honour rolls from the Great War. The latter, with their heavy binding and gold lettering, published in memory of their students, their youth of the day of which so many perished in the First World War. What were their names, Colley, Hawthorne, Allderdyce?
With pictures and biographies recording their time with us on a single page, some might ask, “Is there not more to life than to be remembered for their death?” And yes, there is more. They make us ask why, they make us reflect, they make us remember. We can only give back to them; for so much was given to us. We are the tellers of their stories. May they shine and be remembered with respect and dignity for giving all they had, not just for having died but also for having lived.
The camera lens breathes life into these memories. The art allows us to explore the depths of human emotion. It is there for you to find, it is there for you to connect to. How many of you have ever chosen to replay a film just to see one scene again? Do you know how Lawrence of Arabia ends, can you relate to the few words said, does it touch your heart, does it make you wonder if home is just beyond the next trench?
P. Ferguson
Tags: Allderdyce, Colley, Faces, Hawthorne, Remembrance, The Great War, Wimereux Communal Cemetery
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About The Author
Paul has worked with the Paradigm Motion Picture Company since 2009 as producer, historian and research specialist. Paul first met Casey and Ian WIlliams of Paradigm in April 2007 at Ieper (Ypres), Belgium when ceremonies were being held for the re-dedication of the Vimy Memorial, France.
Paul's sensitivity to film was developed at an early age seeing his first films at RCAF Zweibrucken, Germany and Sardinia. Paul returned to Canada in 1967 and was captivated by David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai". Over time Paul became increasingly interested in storytelling, content development, character, direction, cinematography, narration and soundtracks.
At the University of Victoria, Paul studied and compared Japanese and Australian film and became interested in Australian film maker Peter Weir and his film "Gallipoli" (1981). Paul was inspired when he learned Weir visited the beaches, ridges and ravines of the peninsula. "Gallipoli", the film, led Paul on many journeys to sites of conflict in England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Malta, Hawaii, Gallipoli, North Macedonia and Salonika.
When Paul first watched documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, "The Civil War", Paul understood how his own experience and insight could be effective and perhaps influential in film-making. Combining his knowledge of Museums and Archives, exhibitions and idea strategies with his film interests was a natural progression.
Paul thinks like a film-maker. His passion for history and storytelling brings to Paradigm an eye (and ear) to the keen and sensitive interests of; content development, the understanding of successful and relational use of collections, imagery and voice. Like Paul's favorite actor, Peter O'Toole, Paul believes in the adage “To deepen not broaden.”
While on this path Paul always remembers his grandmother whose father did not return from the Great War and how his loss shaped her life and how her experience continues to guide him.
Since I thought this was so good, I went ahead to bookmark http://thepipesofwar.com/production-blog/?p=25 on Digg.com. I thought your posts’s title – » Just Beyond the Next Trench – was good to use for people to find this info, so that is what I used.
Image added to article. (November 1, 2019)