A walk through emotional minefields

Human suffering takes centre stage in the documentary series Apocalypse World War I, screened at Alliance Française.

KARACHI: Commemoration of World War I entered a second day at the Alliance Française de Karachi with the screening of episodes three and four of five-part documentary series Apocalypse World War I. The three-day event, which began on November 25, attempts to shed light on the Great War as the world observes the conflict’s 100th anniversary this year.

Aptly titled Hell and Rage, terms commonly associated with the insufferable consequences of the long-drawn-out war, the documentary’s third and fourth episodes were shown following the first-day screening of its preceding episodes, Fury and Fear.



Episode three, Hell, focuses on how the conflict, which was sparked in Europe, managed to spread from the trenches in France to the Italian Alps to the Balkans, all the way to the Eastern world. The episode also highlights how advanced arms and ammunition were used by the French, Italian and British troops to combat the even more developed arsenal used by the Germans. An interesting facet of the war that episode three explores how the trenches where the French, British and Italian soldiers had taken refuge were infested with rats.

Rage, the fourth episode, showcases how the war took a toll on the psychological and economic wellbeing of both soldiers and civilians. The war substantially decreased the strength of armies and paved the way for an economic recession and disillusionment with the then governmental forces. The circumstances also elicited a rebellion from soldiers on the battlefield.

A major section of episode four centralises the German submarine attacks in the Atlantic, which dragged the Americans into the war. It also underlines how the delay in the arrival of the American forces made them unable to prevent the carnage caused by the Germans during the Battle of Passchendaele.

The second day of the event saw a strong turnout, with people of all ages in attendance, who lauded the organisation’s efforts towards bringing informative documentaries to the fore. Arham Ali, a student of World History, said, “I enjoy historical documentaries and Apocalypse World War I has not only been a source of information for me, but will also help me for the relevant section of the academic course.”



Directed by the French filmmakers Isabelle Clarke and Daniel Costelle, the documentary series has been produced using over 500 hours of colorised archival footage. The documentary screening will conclude on Thursday, November 27, with episode five of the series titled Deliverance. The screening will be followed by a short debate and discussion on World War I.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2014.

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