WWI rages again in Peter Jackson docu to show at Bangkok’s Scala

A scene from ‘They Shall Not Grow Old.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
A scene from ‘They Shall Not Grow Old.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Famed Lord of the Rings and King Kong director Peter Jackson took a go at bringing the soldiers who fought in trenches a century ago back to vivid life in his first documentary film. 

The result of that, They Shall Not Grow Old,  is coming to Bangkok by way of the Thai Film Archive next month. The remarkable makeover of World War I footage retrieved from the U.K. Imperial War Museum’s archives. Most of the footage is exclusive and previously unseen by the public in over 100 years. 

To make it accessible to contemporary audiences, the black-and-white archival scenes are colorized and updated with modern techniques including voice acting and sound effects.

Jackson and his crew reviewed nearly 600 hours of interviews from 200 veterans and 100 hours of original film footage to create it. The outcome received positive acclaim from film critics for the restoration work, portrayal of war and emotional impact.




It will show at noon on Oct. 27 to mark the international World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, which aims to raise awareness of the significance and preservation of audiovisual documents such as films, radio and television programs, as well as audio and video recordings. 

The movie will screen at Scala Theater, a historic, 50-year-old standalone downtown cinema in Siam Square. Look for details about showtimes and ticking at a later date online at the Thai Film Archive

FIND IT: 

They Shall Not Grow Old at Scala Theater
Rama I Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Screening starts at noon on Oct. 27
BTS: Siam



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