My Normandy Sacrificed, Liberated

Normandy 1944.The Liberation was a source of great joy for the population of Normandy, but the battle to get rid of Hitler’s troops caused enormous damage and the loss of so many lives. Civilian survivors of the terrible summer of 1944 tell their stories and experts analyse their situation at that time.

See the trailer for My Normandy Sacrificed, Liberated, Reconciled.

Presentation

Our production team considers this documentary project as a kind of duty intended to preserve the memory of the events related to the Battle of Normandy, through the story telling of civilians who were there in 1944.

Taking into account the age of these people, who are now between 76 and 95 years of age, it appears that it is urgent to record their stories, especially in the context of the 70^th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Normandy which led to the Liberation of France.

For most of the people, aged 76 to 95, appearing in this documentary, it will be the first chance to tell publicly what they went through in 1944. It was an extremely difficult period for the people of Normandy, caught in the crossfire of the belligerants and trying to survive heavy shelling and bombing. About 15 000 civilians died, and thousands more wounded as many cities and villages were almost totally or partially destroyed just within a few weeks in 1944 in Normandy.

Rarely before, have civilian survivors of the Battle of Normandy been given the chance to tell their stories before a camera.This documentary will give them the opportunity do to so.

The project creator

People from France and Quebec have joined their efforts to realize this documentary project for television, the Internet, and possibly cinema, allowing civilian survivors aged 76 to 95 to tell their stories related to the period of the Batttle of Normandy in 1944.

Producer and director Jacques Loiselle has gathered a group of video specialists who believe in the importance of exploring the civilian aspects of the events of 1944 in Normandy. They are Adrien, a Parisian; Daniel, a Parisian living in Quebec City; Denis, Alex and Jean, three Quebecers; Philippe, originally from France and living in Montreal.

This project also receives moral support, and some logistical support from members of many families in Normandy who are taking to heart the realization of this documentary. They are the young adult descendants Nicolas, Guillaume, Thomas, Caroline, Juliette and many others. They are also the parents, Nathalie, Jean-Marc, Chantal, Jean-Pierre, Christine, Geneviève, Gilles, Marie-Claude, Thierry and many others. Finally, they are the grand-parents, the survivors of 1944, Jean, Joseph, Pierre, Estelle, Germaine, Jeannine, Louise, Bernard, Roger, Geneviève, Lucien and many others. Filmiris, a production firm from Quebec City, will produce this documentary.