2015 marks 100 years since the Gallipoli landing, 70 years since the end of WWII, 40 years since the end of the Vietnam War and 4 years since end of the Iraq War.
These conflicts have shaped our world, and as ANZAC Day approaches, ‘SBS Remembers’ is a thought provoking season of movies, docos and drama that examines war from a variety of angles across SBS ONE and NITV.
From the development of the machine gun and its devastating effect, to the trenches of WWI, the final chaotic days of the Vietnam War, Rumsfeld’s take on the invasion of Iraq, and more.
DOCOS AND DRAMA ON SBS ONE
In the week leading up to ANZAC Day, SBS explores different perspectives on international conflict:
Last Days in Vietnam – Sunday March 29 at 8.30pm
Nominated for Best Documentary Academy Award in 2015, the documentary recounts the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on Saigon. With incredible witness testimony, this is the thrilling narrative of what happened when the wheels fell off the US strategy in Vietnam.
The Unknown Known – Sunday March 29 at 10:25PM
Academy Award winning filmmaker Errol Morris (The Fog of War) turns the camera on former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld. This documentary profiles an often controversial figure and his thoughts about the US involvement in the Iraq War.
Neil Oliver: Skye’s Band of Brothers – Tuesday 31 March at 7:30PM
Neil Oliver looks at the development of the machine gun as a weapon of mass destruction remembering brave men of Skye killed in France as machine gun industrialised war slaughter. This is both a personal and moving tribute to these men as well as a broader look at how the invention of the machine gun changed war forever.
Generation War – Tuesday March at 10:30PM
Epic German mini-series following the fate of five young life-long friends who are torn apart by the events of WWII. Visceral and gripping drama that examines the role that both soldiers and everyday citizens played in the atrocities committed during the war. Critically acclaimed and a ratings winner, the series created huge debate in Europe.
Tony Robinson’s WWI – Wednesday 1 April 7:30PM
Tony Robinson's World War I sees Tony documenting the war using the recent discovery of thousands of 3D stereoscopic images taken at the time. Action sequences and interviews with historians will tell the story of the Great War, with each episode focusing on a different year of the conflict.
FILMS ON SBS ONE
Legendary Australian actor Jack Thompson hosts some of the most significant war films ever made on Saturdays throughout April:
Apocalypse Now: Redux – Saturday 4 April at 8:30PM
Francis Ford Coppola’s bold masterpiece travels into the heart of darkness in Vietnam.
We Were Soldiers – Saturday 11 April at 8:30PM
Mel Gibson stars in this dramatic portrayal of the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965.
Downfall – Saturday 18 April at 8.30PM
This German classic depicts the final 10 days of Hitler’s reign of Nazi Germany.
Kokoda – Saturday 25 April at 8:30PM *ANZAC DAY*
Follows a lost platoon of Australian troops fighting Japanese forces during the 1942 Kokoda Track campaign.
NITV
NITV is paying tribute to the military efforts of the Indigenous peoples of Australia with a host of commemorative programming between Monday 20 and Saturday 25 April.
ANZACS: Remembering our Heroes – Monday 20 – Friday 24 April, 6.30pm
Will commemorate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and woman, who served in the forces during the past 100 years, through ten new 15-minute documentaries across the week.
A War of Hope – Saturday 25 April, 8.30pm
Revisits 1942, where in the midst of WWII, 235 Guugu Yimithirr people of North Queensland, were forcibly removed 1500km from their land by armed forces. Roy McIvor was nine years old when he and many others were torn apart from their families and forced to live in a government exile settlement at Woorabinda for seven years. Through the eyes of Roy, this documentary special speaks to some of these Hopevale residents about their journeys and their strength to return home to rebuild their families, their community and their culture.
Living Black – ANZAC: A Family Tribute – Monday 20 April, 5pm, SBS One, Tuesday 21 April, 9pm, NITV
Tells the remarkable story of Eddie Albert, who served in the middle-east in WW2. His story is told through the eyes of his daughter Trish Albert and his grandson Tony Albert, who is the artist behind the new Sydney memorial commemorating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers. Tony shares his motivations for the installation and how it inspires his work.
Awaken – Wednesday 22 April, 9.30pm
Stan Grant will feature an ANZAC forum dedicated to remembering forgotten soldiers.
NITV News – Monday 20 – Saturday 25 April, 5.30pm
Features live coverage of the ANZAC marches and services, alongside dedicated specials spotlighting Indigenous soldiers, including Albert Knight – the highest decorated Aboriginal soldier of WW1.
SBS NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
SBS World News Europe Correspondent Brett Mason will be in Gallipoli covering the build-up to centenary commemorations for ANZAC Day as well as the day itself. Janice Petersen will host special coverage on April 25 live from the Australian War Memorial and cross to reporters across the country from major cities and towns. There will be a series of nightly features, including exploring the ANZACs’ importance in WWI, and the historical legacy of the war from the perspective of all the nations involved.
SBS ONLINE
As part of the SBS Remembers season, SBS Online will also relaunch its acclaimed interactive documentary Operation Rimau (http://www.sbs.com.au/operationrimau/), as told by Booker Prize nominated writer, M. J. Hyland. The online documentary details the top secret Australian raid mounted against the Japanese in WWII.
SBS RADIO
SBS Radio will be reflecting on the wars that have shaped Australia and the globe. The language programs will be examining the unique perspective and sometimes opposing points of view that different communities have on these conflicts.
The special ‘SBS Remembers’ commemorative season begins Sunday March 29 at 8.30pm.