War is Over!

original title:
War is Over!
other titles:
War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
country / year of production:
USA / 2023
original length:
11 min , color
premiere:
21. September 2023
genre:
Animation
based on:
director:
Dave Mullins
film script:
Dave Mullins , Sean Taro Ono Lennon
producer:
Brad Booker , Sophie Cherry
cinematographer:
David Scott , Antonio Riestra
editor:
John K. Carr
composer:
Thomas Montgomery Newman
cast (role):
Jake Mclean (Hauptbesetzung)
more:
Massimiliano Narciso (Comiczeichner)
plot synopsis:
The short film ‘War is Over!’ tells in a sensitive way about the universal themes of humanity and peace, which are also of great importance in the context of the First World War. It is remarkable that two soldiers from opposing armies engage in an unusual ritual: they play a game of chess without ever having met in person. The moves are transmitted to a brave carrier pigeon that crosses the chessboard between the trenches.
As one of the soldiers is about to send off his final and victorious chess move, he is surprised by his superior. The superior is very angry about the situation and knocks over the chessboard. He takes the message from the pigeon and replaces it with a message to the high command. A battle then ensues between the two armies, with the two chess players facing each other for the first time during the fierce fighting. While they are wrestling with each other, the pieces of paper with the chess moves fall out of the breast pocket of one of the soldiers. At this moment, they recognise each other as playing partners and lay down their fight, as they are no longer prepared to compete against each other.
Finally, the dove flies over the battlefield again, but before it can reach its destination, it is hit by a bullet and dies. Nevertheless, it delivers a final message to the soldiers: the war is over. These words are the final moment in a film that shows the deep-rooted longing for peace and humanity even in the face of war.
keywords:
comradeship , resistance, opposition , siege , massacre , colour film , battle-fatigue , friends on opposite sides , Truce , Friends
war:
First World War (1914-1918)
literature:
remarks:
Background: The short film ‘War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko’ was created in 2021 on the initiative of Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sean Lennon wanted to reinterpret his parents' well-known peace song Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and thus bring the message of peace, which often remains hidden behind the Christmas context of the song, back to the fore.
Lennon initially considered how he could realise the message of peace artistically. The idea materialised when a friend put him in touch with the director and animator Dave Mullins. During conversations between the two about historical wars, the topic of the so-called ‘Christmas Truce’ in the First World War came up. This historic event, in which German and British soldiers ceased hostilities on Christmas Eve 1914 and met for an unofficial truce, provided the inspiration for the film's plot: soldiers from both sides laid down their weapons and played football together, among other things.
The short film was produced by ElectroLeague, the animation studio where Mullins was employed. The production was supported by Weta FX, the renowned New Zealand special effects company headed by Peter Jackson. Epic Games also contributed financially to the project.
‘War Is Over!’ begins with the news of the end of the war, followed by the song Happy Xmas (War Is Over). The protagonists of the film, two chess players named Winston and Abel, remain unnamed in the film, as does the pigeon named Icarus. The film impressively expresses the original's message of peace through its visual depiction of reconciliation and humanity in war.
availability: