A film featuring the memories of women who lived through the Second World War has been produced by students at HSDC.
The students worked with the Royal Armouries: Fort Nelson and Emsworth-based production company Millstream Productions to research, shoot and edit the short documentary, which was made possible thanks to a £43,860 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
To celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, digital media students from the College’s Havant Campus appealed for people in the Portsmouth area who remembered the war to come forward for interview. They conducted audio interviews with volunteers and went on to feature the memories of five women in their film: Christine Haycock, 87, Liz Leonard and Margaret Baber, both in their early 90s, Christina Hatton, who is 96, and 100-year-old Angela Berry.
The documentary was premiered during a two-day VE Day 80th anniversary event held at Fort Nelson during the summer. The students also helped digitise existing materials, such as photographs, relating to VE Day in Portsmouth. They have combined this with their own research work to create a digital archive, which will be held at Portsmouth History Centre and be freely accessible to the public.
The film’s director Kate Kurdinovych, 17, hails from Ukraine. She said:
“When listening to the women’s stories, they were saying things I can relate to. Everything they said, I thought ‘I’ve done that as well’. I know what they were feeling, like hiding under the stairs, or rationing. I’ve been through that as well.”
Madilyn Parker, 17, was responsible for interviewing each of the participants. She said:
“I was surprised by their positivity, how they were all so happy during the war. I thought they’d talk about how depressing it was because it was a really hard time, but they didn’t at all. I felt there was a real war-time spirit and it kept them positive during dark times.”
Participant Liz Leonard said:
“I really enjoy speaking to younger people. I hope that the younger generation will see the film and appreciate past generations and what they did for them. I hope they appreciate what the people who fought and served in the Second World War went through for them to be here today.”
Media lecturer Steve Murray from HSDC said:
“Not only have we seen the students’ confidence blossom, but they now have a much greater understanding of how people lived and worked in Portsmouth during the war. The funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has been instrumental, helping students acquire new skills and allowing them to immerse themselves in a period of history that profoundly shaped our nation.”
Dan Musty, from Millstream Productions, said:
“It was a privilege to guide the students through a project that was so much more than just a film. From the moment we started, they immersed themselves in the history and the stories of those who lived in Portsmouth during the Second World War.”
Kathy Brooks, Communications Officer at Royal Armouries: Fort Nelson, said:
“What a journey from our first conversation to seeing the film on the big screen on our Parade Ground and having the lovely ladies up to the fort to watch themselves. I think the project has created a record of a very important piece of Portsmouth’s history and it’s been wonderful to be involved.”
The film can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CbtsAnNVpA
PICTURE: Director Kate Kurdinovych (right) sets up a shot with fellow student Temi Oyeparlola
