Tuesday, November 13, 2018

At The Edge Of Peace

The Edge Of Peace was a multimedia presentation held in Confederation Park during the evenings leading up to Remembrance Day. A Montreal production company was behind this project, which used light, music, actors, and a series of spherical globes set up around the fountain. The presentation, marking the centennial of the end of World War One, was a fourteen minute show that ran through the evenings. In between, a few minutes would pass, and images were shown on the globes, both contemporary and period, such as this image of mothers commemorating lost sons.


The presentation weaves together a contemporary composer dealing with her own loss as she tries to compose a song paying tribute to those who fell in battle a century ago, with actors playing the part of several soldiers (including an indigenous soldier) from the war, reciting their words. The spoken words, alternating between English and French, were projected in both languages onto one of the globes throughout.


The first time I took in the show was the night it opened, one week before Remembrance Day, and I happened upon it as this image was projected- a soldier speaks of his war experience, superimposed with the haunting painting Ghosts Of Vimy Ridge, Walter Longstaff's painting that depicts the WWI battle site memorial at night, with ghosts rising up out of the ground. The painting is in the collection of the Canadian War Museum.


"They called, I answered" was a phrase commonly used through the presentation by these soldiers. The men of a century ago went through hell itself- and some of them, lying about their age- were more boys than men, forged through fire into soldiers, watching many of their own fall in battle.


The war's end is noted in the remarks by this soldier, relating a common experience: being in Mons, Belgium on the 11th of November, knowing that the cease fire was coming at 11 in the morning, waiting, biding your time with your friend, trying to keep the civilians from coming out of their homes... and hearing the crack of a sniper rifle minutes before the clock ran out, and knowing that while you were heading home, your friend was not. The sequence had a particular poignance.


The presentation ends with the composer having had found the right words to pay tribute, in a song that uses the name of the presentation as its title. She sings the song, with the soldiers projected onto another globe as chorus- check out my video here. I found the presentation moving, impressive, and very effective in conveying the cost of that war on those left behind. From the photographer's point of view, it also made for a compelling subject, just right for this time of year. Tomorrow I start turning my attention to this year's national service and Remembrance Day events.

42 comments:

  1. Beautiful tribute to the heroes. Have a wonderful day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful idea for a tribute and the video shows it well, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those glowing balls of information command attention.
    Spectacular.

    Janis
    GDP

    ReplyDelete
  4. ...William, it looks like a fabulous presentation. Peace!

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Nancy: I thought it was.

    @Francisco: thank you.

    @Iris: it was well done.

    @Marianne: the concept was well carried out.

    @Janis: it was a good tribute.

    @Tom: definitely!

    @Maywyn: I certainly thought so.

    @Anvilcloud: it was appropriate for the occasion.

    @Marie: indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a wonderful tribute. As I've said before, the Canadians create the best commemorations. This one is simply amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What an interesting way to present this material.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a great show. I wish we could see those shows here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful serie of a great show. I am impressed by the commemorations in Canada, France and Belgium. It is strange that there is hardly any attention is for the First Worldwar.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a unique presentation William. The story of the soldier shot just before the 11th hour was heartbreaking ✨

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a creative way to honor the military ~ lovely photos!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  12. @DJan: there is a strong emphasis here in not making victory about celebration, but about commemoration. That reflects itself in things like this, and in the War Museum.

    @Sharon: it was. I found it to be a very good idea.

    @Red: that's often the thing with being the national capital- we get a lot of programs like this that might not be elsewhere.

    @Jan: given that your country was neutral in the First World War, that's to be expected. We were in it from the start, so it's a big part of our history.

    @Grace: and that happened in every Allied position that day along the lines- hoping you wouldn't be the last man killed.

    @Carol: it is indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a great presentation! I am always wishing for peace in the world now, looking back at the history makes me sad at the loss.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This looks like it was a very effective event, William.

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Catalyst: I found it to be so.

    @Janey: I agree.

    @Eileen: humans seem to not learn the lessons.

    @RedPat: I thought so. I visited a number of evenings, and there were always people taking it in.

    @Bill: that's what I thought!

    @Marleen: indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That was quite some tribute, William. I also watched the video you linked in the post.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Must have been quite an interesting event!...

    ReplyDelete
  18. This looks beautiful -- and very powerful.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh wow, must have been absolutely amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  20. very cool. it is reminds me of parts from the Hunger Games or Harry Potter ... the outer world or way ahead technology??! amazing! ( ;

    ReplyDelete
  21. @Beatrice: thank you!

    @Italiafinlandia: I thought so.

    @Jeanie: it was.

    @Denise: definitely.

    @Beth: I can see that.

    ReplyDelete
  22. It sounds like a unique and effective way to remember history. Nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wonderful night photos. I like the name of this.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Well done. I see what you saw.
    Many of us are so far remote from this war. It's difficult to imagine.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Beautiful night shots, William !

    ReplyDelete
  26. Such a unique tribute, very moving.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete