On France.tv and Canal, there is no shortage of documentaries on June 6, 1944. We have selected six which illuminate D-Day from an unexpected angle and shake up our gaze.
Photo from “D-Day in the Heart of Hell” and taken during preparations for the Normandy landings at Slapton Sands, in the county of Devon, England, April 1944. Bridgeman Images/RMC-BFM
By Virginie Félix, Emmanuelle Skyvington, Isabelle Poitte, Frédéric Strauss, Caroline Pernes
Published on June 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Updated June 6, 2024 at 6:28 p.m.
HAS on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the landing, TF1 and France 2 deployed the big artillery, namely two documentaries which retrace in prime time D-Day and the liberation of France with a lot of colorized images and dramatic music. The prize in this area goes to the crisp Apocalypse: The landings, by Daniel Costelle and Isabelle Clarke, broadcast Wednesday June 5 on France 2, ahead of D-Day, 100 days for freedom: The Normandy campaign, a tad more sober, Thursday June 6 on TF1.
More discreet, other films aim to commemorate D-Day from an unexpected angle, favoring new points of view and little-known stories. Amateur Norman filmmakers, Hollywood directors, an inventor of superheroes and forgotten heroes come together in our selection of six films, which, each in their own way, contribute to renewing the way we look at one of the most filmed and photographed events Of the history.
“Under our eyes”
Filmed clandestinely, these images taken by anonymous people and exhumed from the archives provide another, human story of these dark days in Normandy: between debacle, occupation and bombings… Keren Production
Camera in hand, from a window, in the heart of the crowd or in the rubble, Norman amateur filmmakers filmed their daily lives during the Second World War. Mostly filmed clandestinely, these images exhumed from the archives by Stéphane Miquel and the historian Marc Pottier compose a precious account of the men and women of the dark years.
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“Before our eyes”: the Second World War brought back to life through incredible photos
“The French GI of Omaha Beach”
The exceptional epic of the only Frenchman who donned the uniform of the American army then landed on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944. Personal collection
How was a 24-year-old Jewish Parisian able to land on Omaha Beach on June 8, 1944 in an American uniform? In front of David Korn-Brzoza’s camera, Bernard Dargols recounted in 2018 the extraordinary destiny which led him to participate in the liberation of Normandy, Brittany and the Ardennes. A moving, precise and rich testimony of anecdotes, where intimacy and the march of History intertwine.
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“The French GI of Omaha Beach”: the unpublished testimony of a soldier of the landing
“D-Day: at the risk of their lives”
The intimate testimony of these allied soldiers who participated in D-Day is the strength of this unequal documentary. Photo Giles Milton/3DD Productions
The landing by those who experienced it on the front line. It is the main interest of this film to tell the story of Operation Overlord from the intimate point of view of ordinary soldiers among the thousands who were scattered on the Normandy coast on the night of June 5 to 6, 1944. Despite an emphatic commentary, the strength of testimonies and archive images goes beyond the anecdotal to capture as closely as possible the fear and courage of these young men.
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“D-Day: at the risk of their lives”, by Lyndy Saville: our review
“D-Day in the Heart of Hell”
An interesting documentary on the making of images in times of war: here, a photo taken, facing grapeshot, from a landing craft, on D-Day. Universal Images Group North America LLC / Alamy Stock Photo
In the heart of the fighting, reporters, military cameramen, famous and unknown directors risked their lives to bring back images of the landing. This film, with its singular and relevant angle, sheds light on the sometimes forgotten work and personal trajectory of four of these witnesses who contributed to forging the memory of D-Day. In two parts, the film questions the meaning of images – those that have become legendary as well as rarities – starting from their original purposes (propaganda, “training films” intended for new recruits, press reports, etc.). A fascinating look at the making of war images that so many historical documentaries tend to reduce to simple illustrations.
“Hollywood Normandy: Story of a landing”
Through numerous anecdotes, the story of the filming of “The Longest Day”, released in 1962, a film that has become legendary, even if historically questionable. Eva Production
Who has forgotten the iconic image of the paratrooper who remained clinging to the bell tower of Sainte-Mère-Église in the middle of combat? A blockbuster film released in 1962, The longest day has left its mark on people’s minds and perpetuates through rebroadcasts the myths of one of the greatest military operations in history. This documentary confronts the artistic adventure orchestrated by producer Darryl F. Zanuck and his small arrangements with the reality of the operations of June 6, 1944. Sometimes a little anecdotal but interesting.
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“Hollywood Normandy, story of a landing”, by Justin Lecarpentier and Vic de Mayo: our review
“Jack Kirby, the superhero of D-Day”
Astonishing anticipation by Jack Kirby (1917-1994), who drew a landing in 1943, while he himself, a soldier, would set foot on Norman soil in August 1944. Here, a panel taken from one of his comic strips. Simple past
A year before D-Day, Jack Kirby had drawn an Allied landing in one of his comics with disturbing realism… Without suspecting that he would soon set foot on Norman soil. Called to the flag, Captain America’s “father” was 27 years old when he landed on Omaha Beach in August 1944, already engaged through his art in the fight against fascism. Led by Jean Depelley, comics specialist, accompanied by Kirby’s grandson, this documentary traces the fascinating journey of this poor kid from New York who became one of the most important creators of superheroes. Despite an obvious economy of means, it takes us on an astonishing back and forth between the reality of the combat and Kirby’s drawings which, eighty years later, continue to nourish the imagination.
On France.tv from June 7 to July 7
