2 x 52’, 1 x 120’
Shot at the locations where the events took place, combined with emotional testimonies and skillful narration that create a powerful reaction, this high-quality production unveils the uncomfortable truths that have been buried for decades. A compelling narrative based on new documents reveals the tragic fate of the Abbey and tens of thousands of men. It is a shocking and dramatic truth.
Intensive research and investigations reveal the truth about the destruction of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, and the terrifying battle that took place for its conquest. A clash of soldiers of 27 different nationalities that resulted in one of the worst massacres of the Second World War. 50,000 losses between the multinational contingent of the Allied Forces, 20,000 German soldiers, and thousands of Italian civilian casualties during the fighting that lasted until late Spring.
Witness the bombing runs using complete archival imagery, which shows the relentless onslaught of bombs pouring on the monastery. Spectacular computer animations reconstruct the complex dynamics of the destruction of the bombings. The film repertoire shot by the Germans allows us to relive the battle in the shoes of those inside the abbey at the time of the bombings. New research reveals how so many pieces of art were secretly transferred to the Vatican, and the true content of the agreement reached between the abbot and the German forces who were led by a Benedictine tertiary monk who loved classical art and studied at Oxford, eventually becoming a general of Hitler’s army.
Historical reconstructions and unpublished testimonies from survivors guide us through the different phases of the battle. It was a real hell on earth, which lasted four months until the Polish contingent first managed to conquer the abbey, which was abandoned by the German paratroopers, otherwise known as the “green devils,” the elite of the Germanic armed forces.
