Churchill's Island

Directed and Produced by Stuart Legg
Narrated by Lorne Greene
Released in 1941
Running Time 21 minutes

Churchill's Island, a film released by National Film Board of Canada, won the first Oscar in documentary feature. The film have images and a narration about United Kingdom defended their territory from German invasion. The images are real and recorded by the military. Although one may think that the film has sets as the generations have not seen actual battles and demolition in the United States, the bombings of cities and towns were shown as people were scattered to find the basic resources as food, shelter, and water. The main focus on the film is the ways the Germans were the playing the military strategies at one card in hand. They tried flying planes with bombs which destroyed buildings and lands. They tried cutting supply lines from the New World  (U.S. and Canada) so the UK can be starved. They used U-boats. Throughout the winter before the attacks, they trained officials for suicide troopers for attack. Although the strong support and training existed through the Hilter regime, the Brits were strong to withhold the German attacks. They showed military training for defenses to save the control of its government.

Churchill is shown in the film as supply of men from Canada were added to the combat of the British army.

I appreciate the film in the ways of showing the historical yet real images of war. We are desensitized in the fact that we are shown war through computerized settings of our histories. We almost realize the truth lies in our stories not the factual, frontal view. The discovery of film in government files either in other countries or our own adds value and a reality of who we are today and what will happen tomorrow.

Although I'm not taking an intellectual, philosophical approach on this film, I hope to increase my ability to analyze films in the way that teaches and implants an impression of value and honor for the films that show truth. Please take the time to integrate more documentary films in your life. In order to understand our present, we need to see clearly our pasts especially our present especially as the cameras were rolling film as actual events took place. Thank you for being on this cinematic journey with me.

I would like to add about the film. The reality could be possible that the Germans could have taken over the British Isles and moved to the U.S. If the actual event took place, we might have been ruled by the Germanic rules. Would we have this film made and readily available? Would our knowledge have been destroyed and our main language would be Germanic roots? Questions that are asked now could happen in the future. Will one day, our language change due to the victory of several warfare if U.S. loses their military game? History repeats in the matter of the same players yet different outcomes for each individual either for opponent or competitor. It only takes one chess game to change the set and rules and the challenges.