In War Story: The Damage Done, five Canadian veterans, ranging in age from 28 to 90, share their powerful and personal stories of war and its costs. The wars in which they fought include Afghanistan, Korea, Bosnia, and the Second World War. Together, they speak about their experiences of combat, civilian suffering, witnessing war crimes, the personal damage they endured – and how they got through it.
Created by one of the finest teams of documentary filmmakers in Canada, led by director Barry Stevens, War Story: The Damage Done combines riveting group interviews with high definition archival footage. The five remarkable veterans featured are: Fred LeReverend, who enlisted to fight in the Second World War at just 16;
Gordon Owen, taken prisoner of war after being severely wounded in Korea; Greg Alkerton, a sniper on the initial UN peacekeeping mission to Sarajevo; Master Warrant Officer Brett Perry, a decorated veteran of two combat tours to Afghanistan; and Sayed Shah, an Afghan interpreter for the Canadian Forces who now lives in Canada.
Each of these men overcame intensely traumatic experiences, including losing comrades in action, being severely wounded, and witnessing brutality against civilians. They had to deal with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Together, they reflect on the often neglected and misunderstood personal costs of war. For each veteran, returning to “normal” life was, and in many ways is, a gradual process, and all movingly share, with each other and the viewer, the wisdom they have gleaned from their experiences.
