"People are more likely to fall in love when they're in danger. Wartime romances are legendary... Danger is an aphrodisiac." Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of Love.

Our Story

 It's the intention of my documentary "WarBrides" to introduce newer generation of Canadians to one of the most important and often overlooked pages of our history.

The status of war bride was created by the Government of Canada in the First World War to designate women who married Canadian servicemen in the course of the war and subsequently came to Canada to rejoin their husbands.

In both wars Canada paid the war brides sea and rail passage. The vast majority were women from the United Kingdom: Some 48,000 of them had arrived in Canada by the end of 1946, and others kept coming for several years after. War brides came to Canada without their husbands, and frequently with small kids.

Their experience was mixed. As they had the chance to start anew in a country untouched by war and thriving with postwar prosperity, they also ended up in a place where they were considered strangers. Their friends and relatives were a world away and there was every prospect they would never see family or friends again.

Some war brides couldnt take it in the long run and went home. The vast majority stayed and became Canadians, contributing to all walks of life, raising families, working farms and entering the workplace. They bestowed their energy, talent and skills to a growing young country. This is their story.

The Impact

As years go by and the brides slowly say goodbye to this world, it has become increasingly important to register their story, their plight and contribution to Canadian society. Their experiences are filled with ideas newer generations are not as familiar with: Loyalty to a cause, unwarranted fidelity, and unimaginable sacrifices. Also, the war bride phenomenon is one of the rare cases in which love becomes an historical force to reckon with.

WarBrides will be based on the book Most Excellent Citizens by Eswyn Lyster. A war bride herself, her story will anchor the film via voiceover. Her journey is simultaneously typical and extraordinary: The Battle of England, falling in love with a Canadian soldier, the lengthy separation, the hazardous trip to Canada, massive cultural shock, dealing with their husbands post-traumatic stress. These are milestones most war brides lived through.

My goal is to present their story unvarnished, as the war brides tale is strong enough by itself. The relationships forged in the midst of war will be at the heart of the film. This aspect will set WarBrides apart from more historically minded films. While the narration and interviews will focus mostly on description of events and the emotional areas of the story, additional hard data will appear at the bottom of the screen when appropriate.

The film will also deal with their citizenship plight and the fight to receive recognition for their contribution to Canadas blueprint.

As Eswyn Lyster put her on her book, World War II gave the worlds gene-pool a mighty stir. Its time to make younger Canadians aware of it.

What We Need & What You Get

Because of the nature of the documentary, it would be required to travel to most Canadian provinces to interview surviving war brides. Following their landing circa 1947, most brides went to small communities instead of urban centers. This is a small, two people operation, so the trip expenses will be minimal (ten days per province), plus I own most of the filming equipment.The breakdown is as follows.

Other Ways You Can Help

There are all sorts of expendables that come with a documentary production. Any assistant in this respect would be greatly appreciated:

Memory cards, office materials and paperwork, publicity, portable light equipment.