Even though he already has another high-production fantasy movie coming out around Christmas (that would be Mortal Engines), Peter Jackson isn’t shying away from a double-feature around the holidays. The filmmaker is directing and producing a WWI documentary called They Shall Not Grow Old that looks groundbreaking in its presentation.
Many war documentaries of recent years have featured restored and colorized footage, but nothing quite like what this movie is showing. The sound is amazing, and it makes you wonder exactly what the movie means by the footage being “transformed.”
After a little research, it seems the footage was gathered largely from the Imperial War Museum. Most of it is unseen, and Jackson and Co. used added sound effects and voice acting to “be more evocative and feel closer to the soldiers’ actual experiences.”
They Shall Not Grow Old is Jackson’s first documentary as a director. It has been acclaimed by critics in the wake of its airing on BBC Two this month, but it will have event screenings in the States on December 17 and 27.
