1 July, 1916. The first day of the Battle of the Somme where 60,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded, most of them in the first two hours of battle. The bloodiest day in all of the British Army's history. "La Tranchée" tells the story of a group of thirty young soldiers in the two days following the first attack. Only the sergeant is a career officer. One of them, Billy MacFarlane, joined up to follow his brother. He's 17. For two days, these young, barely adult, men will be confronted by imminent death.
Synopsis
Actors (17)
Production and distribution (3)
Co-productions :
Skyline Film et Télévision Production, Somme Productions Ltd, Galatée Films
French distribution :
Foreign production company :
TV Broadcasts: Cumulative total
TV broadcasts: details by country
About
The battle of the Somme remains one of Britain’s biggest collective traumas. My grandfather and great uncle fought and were wounded in France. This film tries to reconstruct the daily reality of the trench, and it deliberately confined to that space. My goal was to describe the life of all those volunteer infantrymen. Swept up in the innocent desire “to be part of it all,” this army of young enlisted men was decimated, wounded for life. The world had suddenly changed: innocence became bitterness, enthusiasm became ineradicable mourning.
William Boyd, Director
Photos (2)
Full credits (9)
Foreign Producer :
Director of Photography :
Press Attaché (film) :
Continuity supervisor :
Costume designers :
Co-producers :
Jacques Perrin, Christophe Barratier
Sound recordists :
Editor :
Production Designer :
Technical details
Feature film
Genres :
FictionSub-genre :
DramaProduction language :
EnglishCoproducer countries :
Great Britain, FranceOriginal French-language productions :
UnspecifiedNationality :
Majority French (Great Britain, France)Production year :
2000French release :
19/04/2000Runtime :
1 h 40 minCurrent status :
ReleasedVisa number :
96.354Visa issue date :
27/04/2000Approval :
YesProduction formats :
35mmColor type :
ColorPosters (1)
