A War Story

1981 1h 22m EN

🙌

8.3

BANGER

★8.3TMDB · 3

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Donald Sutherland
Narrator (voice)
David Edney
Ben Wheeler
Frank C. Turner
Peter Seed
Anne Wheeler
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Anne Wheeler
Writers: Anne Wheeler, Ben Wheeler
Languages: English
Countries: Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Anne Wheeler, shot by Robert Nichol. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Donald Sutherland and David Edney and Frank C. Turner carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0132614 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Anne Wheeler directs. Robert Nichol behind the camera. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
345 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Anne Wheeler, shot by Robert Nichol. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Donald Sutherland and David Edney and Frank C. Turner carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0132614 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.