'This stunning documentary is illuminating and devastating.' —
Sydney Morning Herald
'This is a love story of heartbreaking intensity. A docu-drama drawn largely from letters exchanged during World War II by John and Josie Johnson, the screenplay traces the lives of this couple who meet, fall deeply in love and are devoted to each other and their eight children, but who are then separated by war when John joins the army and finds himself at Tobruk. The letters are their only link, often taking months to arrive. It is not only the family which is vividly recreated here, the screenplay captures time and place in the minutiae of rural and domestic life and John's experiences in the army. The letters are candid, full of feeling, humor and incidental detail, but it is Wain Fimeri's command of story-telling that draws them together to create an absorbing narrative that is passionate while never descending into mawkishness or sentimentality. It is about war and its impact: love, loss and grief experienced at a deeply personal level, as well as at the level of a community, and a country still in the process of finding an identity. It is both a celebration and a work of mourning. ' —
The Village Roadshow Prize for Screen Writing
'A uniquely Australian tale of enduring passion, this beautifully blended part documentary, part drama, told with such gentle poignancy that it will linger with you for some time after.' —
Advertiser
'It's a simple spare story told with extraordinary affection. At its heart is the written word, preserved and cherished.' —
The Bulletin
'This is simply a brilliant program in terms of both its story and the way in which it is told. Recreated using archival footage and re enactments seamlessly cut together, and as a love story, it is inspirational.' —
Courier Mail
'One of the most touching love stories you're likely to see on television, exquisitely presented through a combination of archival footage and re-created events seamlessly to create a vivid, moving portrait of an era.' —
The Advertiser
Sydney Morning Herald
'This is a love story of heartbreaking intensity. A docu-drama drawn largely from letters exchanged during World War II by John and Josie Johnson, the screenplay traces the lives of this couple who meet, fall deeply in love and are devoted to each other and their eight children, but who are then separated by war when John joins the army and finds himself at Tobruk. The letters are their only link, often taking months to arrive. It is not only the family which is vividly recreated here, the screenplay captures time and place in the minutiae of rural and domestic life and John's experiences in the army. The letters are candid, full of feeling, humor and incidental detail, but it is Wain Fimeri's command of story-telling that draws them together to create an absorbing narrative that is passionate while never descending into mawkishness or sentimentality. It is about war and its impact: love, loss and grief experienced at a deeply personal level, as well as at the level of a community, and a country still in the process of finding an identity. It is both a celebration and a work of mourning. ' —
The Village Roadshow Prize for Screen Writing
'A uniquely Australian tale of enduring passion, this beautifully blended part documentary, part drama, told with such gentle poignancy that it will linger with you for some time after.' —
Advertiser
'It's a simple spare story told with extraordinary affection. At its heart is the written word, preserved and cherished.' —
The Bulletin
'This is simply a brilliant program in terms of both its story and the way in which it is told. Recreated using archival footage and re enactments seamlessly cut together, and as a love story, it is inspirational.' —
Courier Mail
'One of the most touching love stories you're likely to see on television, exquisitely presented through a combination of archival footage and re-created events seamlessly to create a vivid, moving portrait of an era.' —
The Advertiser
