253:, the "Red Baron". After being wounded, a final application to become a pilot is approved. The air war is still considered the realm of "knights of the air" by not only Canadians but also Americans signing up, even before their country enters the war. At the completion of his training in 1918, despite his background as an air observer, grandfather is a neophyte assigned to a fighter squadron at the front. Flying the new S.E.5, he takes part in air combat against seasoned German aces.
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aircraft is just as harrowing. Although the air observers are armed and able to fight back, the crews call themselves "Fokker fodder". With the development of more capable Allied fighters, air superiority is slowly won back. On the ground, armies are no longer able to move without being observed from
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than a traditional documentary, weaving a fictional story into a depiction of the air war on the
Western Front. Canadian military aviation historians Philip Markham (technical coordinator and historical consultant) and Brereton Greenhous (historical consultant) provided historical context to the
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and after broadcast on a number of different
Canadian networks in 1993 was released to the home market on June 4, 1997. The film was made available as a VHS video to schools, libraries, film libraries operated by university and provincial authorities and other interested parties.
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noting: "High school students to adults will find offers an excellent use of documentary technique to capture the mood of World War I. The video's recollection of World War I brings a vivid contrast to current military air technology." Alex Leites, in a review for the
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batteries (called "archie") and enemy aircraft. A parachute saves him when his balloon is shot down. His second transfer request to an aircraft squadron is quickly approved, mainly because there is a pressing need for replacements during the
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they had built together. His grandfather's voice comes back to him, relating his experiences, beginning with his enlistment in 1914 as a soldier in Canada. After a time in the trenches on the
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With his prospects grim, he beats "the odds" when the
Armistice ends the conflict. The Canadian contribution to the air war has been remarkable: 10,000 aviators, including
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His grandson resolves to keep the replica S.E.5 as a tribute to his grandfather and all the others who fought in the first air war.
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reviewer said, "This video combines rare film footage with interviews to re-create aspects of the real-life battles confronted by
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fictional account of a
Canadian aviator. Group Captain (RCAF Ret'd) A.J. Bauer was the film's overall technical consultant.
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for a French-language version) is a 92-minute 1993 Canadian historical drama film directed by Raoul Fox and produced by the
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as an officer in the infantry, he applies to become an aviator and is assigned to a balloon corps as an air observer.
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Bronze Plaque Award (Category: Social Issues) at the
International Film and Video Festival, October 25–28, 1994,
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Recalling the stories of his late grandfather, a young man deliberates over the sale of a homebuilt replica of a
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stated "The film's producers have done a superb job of applying modern standards to rare archival footage."
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Spotting for gunners is his first task, but the job is dangerous, as balloons draw the attention of
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Technological advances during the First World War involved photography and wireless communications.
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People's Choice Award at the
International Aviation Film/Video Festival, August 3–6, 1995,
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312:(1927). Footage was also shot of modern First World War replicas flown by owner-pilot
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How to Make War: A Comprehensive Guide to Modern
Warfare in the Twenty-first Century
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Silver CINDY Award (Itinerant) at the
International CINDY Competition, May 1, 1995,
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188:(NFB). The film chronicles the career of a fictional Canadian aviator during the
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Aircraft
Corporation (Amsterdam). Some aerial scenes were from the film
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In the air, German ascendency in fighters reasserts itself, leading to "
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An "ace" scored five aerial victories over his opponents.
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Les As du ciel - Chronique de la première guerre des airs
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The film utilized rarely seen archival footage from the
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443:"Our Collection: Aces: A Story of the First Air War."
524:"Building aircraft out of ash wood and Irish linen."
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540:"Aces: A Story of the First Air War (1997)."
343:Reviews were generally favourable, with the
226:Flying aerial reconnaissance missions in a
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368:<sic> World War I flying aces."
508:"Aces: A Story of the First Air War."
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484:"Aces: A Story of the First Air War."
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623:National Film Board of Canada films
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284:Aces: A Story of the First Air War
175:Aces: A Story of the First Air War
22:Aces: A Story of the First Air War
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562:. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
264:, among the top aces in the war.
345:Video Rating Guide for Libraries
618:English-language Canadian films
489:. Retrieved: October 11, 2014.
379:received a number of awards:
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511:National Film Board of Canada
186:National Film Board of Canada
118:National Film Board of Canada
108:National Film Board of Canada
638:1990s English-language films
296:National Archives of Canada
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643:Canadian World War I films
628:World War I aviation films
392:Spring Valley, California
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633:Canadian docudrama films
613:Canadian war drama films
608:Canadian aviation films
318:Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
459:Dunnigan 2003, p. 149.
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251:Manfred von Richthofen
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648:1990s Canadian films
558:Dunnigan, James F.
447:National Film Board
337:made-for-television
300:Imperial War Museum
543:The New York Times
538:Smith, Elizabeth.
527:HistoryJournal.org
361:The New York Times
322:Red Hook, New York
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16:1993 Canadian film
568:978-0-06009-012-8
385:Red Deer, Alberta
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147:Running time
124:Release date
66:Bill McNeil
63:Narrated by
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39:Directed by
603:1993 films
597:Categories
406:References
314:Cole Palen
271:Production
151:93 minutes
100:Production
47:Written by
431:Citations
387:, Canada.
366:America's
328:Reception
288:docudrama
84:Raoul Fox
81:Edited by
42:Raoul Fox
33:VHS cover
164:Language
89:Music by
316:at the
167:English
156:Country
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487:Amazon
372:Awards
304:Fokker
298:, the
235:bomber
228:B.E.2C
159:Canada
411:Notes
320:, in
309:Wings
202:S.E.5
588:IMDb
564:ISBN
260:and
247:aces
196:Plot
135:1993
131:1993
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