October 1947. Soldiers are finally home after five devastating years of war that took the lives of nearly 45 thousand Canadians. But when the call goes out for the world to come together in peace at the Winter Olympics, Canada refuses to send a hockey team.
Shocked by this decision, the Royal Canadian Air Force announces they’ll field a team. But the RCAF Flyers are unknown amateurs. Many fear they’ll embarrass the nation.
But these aren’t just any men. They’re pilots, gunners and navigators who fought in the brutal air offensive of WWII, and survived. Now, this band of brothers is once again facing incredible odds that no one believes they can beat.
Against All Odds: The RCAF Flyers is the dramatic and moving story of this unlikely team and their chaotic quest for Olympic gold. Narrated by the host of Hockey Night in Canada, George Stroumboulopoulos. (infieldflyproductions.com)
As with many of the projects we work on, much of the story is told with priceless old photographs and fragile historical documents. It often falls to us to come up with an inventive way of incorporating these elements into the film in way that brings them to life within the unfolding narrative. Such was the case in this film.
We had a rich archive of material at our disposal, and used lots of tricks to create a sense of living, breathing drama through animated diary entries, archival footage, photo animation, all weaved seamlessly into the film as a way of leading the viewer through the mounting tension over whether or not the RCAF Flyers would triumph.
Nominated for a 2016 Canadian Screen Award for BEST SPORTS PROGRAM OR SERIES.
