Event

BEST OF THE FEST : Fire & Ice

This high-definition documentary Fim features authentic re-enactments of the Soviet Union's invasion of Finland and reveals how Finland's 105-day defense in a freezing hell helped change the course of what would soon become World War II. In November of 1939, when Finland was invaded by the Soviet Union, no one expected this tiny nation would resist the largest military force in the world. Also, no one anticipated one of the coldest winters in recorded history. Outnumbered and outgunned, Finns knew the war was not about territory; it was a total war for their very existence as a people. The Winter War was an epic life and death struggle that changed the course of World War II, and saved a democracy. Fire and Ice: The Winter of Finland and Russia retraces the historic battles of the Winter War. Through archival Film footage, eyewitness accounts, interviews with historians, diary entries and battlefield re-enactments, this documentary tells the story of a forgotten war, a battle virtually unknown to the vast majority of Americans today.

Ben Strout has been writing and producing television documentaries since 1981. That year, his documentary, The Deadly Legacy, produced for WTHR-TV Indianapolis, was a national Emmy Finalist. Fire and Ice: The Winter War of Finland and Russia is his own company's (MastersWork Media) First documentary release.

Producers: Ben Strout Screenwriter: Ben Strout Cinematographer: Michael Bowie Editor: Kurt Poole Music: Jamie Lawrence