The Gallipoli campaign of World War I was so controversial & devastating, it changed the face of battle forever. Using diaries, letters, photographs and memoirs, acclaimed director, Tolga Ornek, traces the personal journeys of Australian, New Zealand, British and Turkish soldiers, from innocence and patriotism to hardship and heartbreak.
Direction
Ornek refuses easy heroism — every side bleeds.
Writing
Soldiers' own words, devastating in plainness.
Production
Letters and photos resurrected with painful clarity.
Director
Tolga Örnek
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Tolga Örnek spent four years in archives across four countries to ensure Turkish voices weren't footnotes — this was the first documentary to give them equal weight.
In Australia, 'Gallipoli' is sacred ground; this film caused controversy by suggesting the invasion was strategically doomed from day one, challenging national martyrdom.
US
