They Shall Not Grow Old
Short description
This documentary examines the First World War to mark the centennial of the 1918 armistice. The film utilizes restored, colorized, and 3D-converted archival footage from the Imperial War Museum and the BBC to illustrate the daily lives of soldiers. It focuses on the experiences of those in the trenches, their personal bonds, and the lasting psychological impact of the conflict. To bring the silent images to life, the production used lip-reading specialists and voice actors, including Thomas Adlam, William Argent, and John Ashby.
Written and directed by Peter Jackson, this is the 15th film of 15 in his directorial chronology, following The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Produced by Jackson and Clare Olssen, the project was a collaboration between production companies in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Turkey.
The film earned 21 million USD at the worldwide box office. It is well-received by both critics and viewers, holding a rating of 8.7/10 from 155 reviews. Audience scores are also high, with an 8.2/10 on IMDb based on 41,000 votes and a 7.8/10 on TMDB from 702 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on footage from the Imperial War Museum archive in London – over 100 hours of black and white film, from a time when cinema was still silent. All sound effects were added later.
- The archival footage was shot in the 1910s, when technology did not yet allow for the combination of sound and image. All sound effects were added later.
- Actors provide voiceovers for the World War I soldiers in the film. Specialists skilled in lip-reading were specifically hired to try and determine what the soldiers are saying on the footage.
- The film's title is taken from the poem "For the Fallen" by English poet Laurence Binyon. The original line is written as "They shall grow not old."
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
