Project Detail

War Game

Synopsis

War Game tells the story of three young men involved in the historically true football game, between German and English troops in No Man's Land on Christmas Day during the First World War.  It is told from the perspective of the young men, caught up in events beyond their comprehension.

Details

Year
2004
Type of project
Shorts
Running time
29 mins 29 secs
Format
35 mm, Beta SP, DigiBeta
Director
Dave Unwin
Producer
Nick Powell, Sunree Chung
Editor
Taylor Grant
Screenwriter
Simon Nicholson
Sound
Michael Cordon
Composer
Julian Nott
Principal cast
Iain Jones, Adam Godley, Ben Warwick, Colin McFarlane, Kate Winslet

Production Status

Production Company

The illuminated Film Company

115 Gunnersbury Lane
London
W3 8HQ
UK

T+44 (0)20 8896 1666

Sales Company

The illuminated Film Company

115 Gunnersbury Lane
London
W3 8HQ
UK

T+44 (0)20 8896 1666

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

On Angel Wings On Angel Wings

Director: Dave Unwin

Year: 2014

One starry night, a shepherd boy is taken on a secret, magical night-flight to witness a Christmas miracle with a visit to the newly born Christ child. This magical re-working of the nativity by leading storyteller Michael Morpurgo is rich with human poignancy as we share his very special experience.

Pheasant Pheasant

Director: Claire Molloy

Year: 2026

A drama set in rural England amidst the backdrop of World War II exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the impact of war on personal lives - highlighting the human capacity for both empathy and cruelty in times of crisis. Martha, an 11-year-old mixed-race girl, is evacuated from London to the northern English countryside. Martha finds herself in the care of a gruff gamekeeper and his family. Feeling isolated and rejected due to her racial background and the community’s war-induced tensions, she tries to adapt to her new life, becoming captivated by the natural beauty of the countryside. Martha forms a secret friendship with Enzo, an Italian POW, whose gentle demeanour and shared sense of displacement draw them together. Martha also navigates a complex relationship with George, the gamekeeper's son, who is torn between his familial prejudices and his growing fondness for Martha.

A wide shot image of a boy sitting in a field with his back to the camera, reading a magazine. In the distance behind him is a tangle of pylons and industrial buildings Gowk

Director: Ryan Pollock

Year: 2025

Set in the decaying housing estate of Gowkthrapple and based on a true story, Gowk follows a young boy as he begins to uncover a painful family secret. His mother’s sudden absence casts a shadow over the household, while his father, unable to express his own suppressed pain, keeps the truth of the incident buried. As the boy begins to realise the emotional weight of his family’s past and the fragility of its present, he navigates a world of unspoken truths and generational wounds. The film explores the cyclical nature of family bonds, the struggle to connect across generations, the impact of inherited trauma, and the beginnings of a premature loss of innocence.