B
Directing
Brian McKenna
No biography available.
Known For
Battlefield Quebec: Wolfe & Montcalm · 2009Battlefield Quebec: Wolfe & Montcalm
★ 10.02009
MovieWar
Documentary about the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, part of the Seven Years War between Britain and France. Both leaders, Wolfe and Montcalm, died in the battle, which decided control over what would become Canada. Includes re-enactments of the battle and the personalities of the two commanders. For two months Montcalm and Quebec City endured English bombardments. However, in what the documentary describes as an exceptionally well planned operation during the night of September 12th, Wolfe got 4500 men and two cannons up L’Anse-au-Foulon cliffs to the Plains of Abraham. Montcalm, who never commanded an army before being posted to New France, chose to leave the city walls and try to fight a linear battle against a better trained army.
Soldier's Revenge · 1986Soldier's Revenge
★ 5.51986
MovieActionDrama
Frank Morgan risked his life for his country in the Vietnam War, but when he came home, no hero's welcome awaited him; instead he was branded a traitor. Nonetheless, he's about to make one more trip into hell to save the woman he loves and preserve her war-torn country.
A Web of War · 1996A Web of War
★ 10.01996
MovieDocumentaryWar
The stories of the battles that brought together a Polish cavalry officer, a Canadian captain, and a Polish underground member are told by the very same Canadians who survived them.
The Great War · 2007The Great War
2007
MovieDocumentaryHistory
A historical recreation of the experience of Canadian soldiers in World War One, with a cast of descendants of the people who participated in it.
In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944 · 1992In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944
★ 10.01992
MovieWarDocumentary
A documentary, using dramatization of fact, that examines the Battle of Verrières Ridge, where on July 25, 1944 and not long after D-Day, an inexperienced battalion of the Canadian Black Watch Regiment launched a doomed attack and was defeated with heavy casualties by veteran German SS troops. Part of "The Valour and the Horror" mini series.
Newfoundland at Armageddon · 2016Newfoundland at Armageddon
2016
MovieDocumentaryWar
On July 1st, 1916, the Newfoundland Regiment took part in a massive First World War offensive on the Somme, led by the British. At Beaumont Hamel the regiment was nearly wiped out, as only 110 of 780 soldiers survived the day. To commemorate its 100th anniversary, Brian McKenna’s documentary film tells the story of this epic tragedy. Using a technique that brings new meaning to reenactment, McKenna recruits descendants of soldiers who fought this battle, offering them a unique opportunity to relive the experience of their ancestors in trenches built specifically for the film.
Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command · 1992Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command
★ 4.51992
MovieDocumentaryWar
A documentary that uses dramatizations based on fact to tell the story of Canadian air crew in Canadian bomber squadrons under British command during World War II. Posits Royal Air Force Bomber Command "deliberately hid the truth" about RAF bomber crew survival rates, concealed plans about deliberately annihilating civilians, and betrayed the trust of Canadian military airmen. Part of "The Valour and the Horror" mini-series.
Fire and Ice: The Rocket Richard Riot · 2000Fire and Ice: The Rocket Richard Riot
★ 4.02000
MovieDocumentary
In 1955, as a hotly contested hockey season was coming to an end, the star of the Montreal Canadiens, Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, was suspended for attacking an opponent with a stick and hitting a referee by then president of the NHL Clarence Campbell. This set off a huge riot in the streets of Montreal. The documentary claims, unconvincingly, that this event added to the sparks of the political revolution in Quebec that led to the rise of the separatist movement.




