'Passchendaele' to open Toronto
World War I drama kicks off festival
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Written, directed and produced by veteran Canadian actor Paul Gross ("Due South"), the film is inspired by the experiences of Gross' grandfather, Michael Dunne, who served in the 10th Battalion, CEF, at the 1917 battle of Passchendaele. The battle -- which has become synonymous with the war's muddy trench warfare -- saw Canada suffer massive casualties.
"It is rare Canadians experience their own histories via the moving image, particularly on the bigscreen," fest CEO and director Piers Handling said in a statement.
In a phone interview, Gross added, "This film took well over twice as long to make as it took to prosecute the First World War."
Gross stars as his grandfather, Dunne, who is wounded in France, falls in love with a nurse (Caroline Dhavernas) while recovering in Calgary and returns to the battlefield to protect his younger brother (newcomer Joe Dinicol). Gil Bellows also stars.
Produced with Niv Fichman, Frank Siracusa and Francis Damberger, "Passchendaele" is a Rhombus Media, Whizbang Films and Damberger Film and Cattle Co. production. It cost C$20 million ($19.66 million) and was shot mostly in Alberta. "Passchendaele" is distributed in Canada by Alliance Films and is scheduled to open here Oct. 17.
The website for the 2008 Toronto Film Festival, www.tiff08.ca, goes live June 27. Fest closes Sept. 13.
