Shaping Europe- The Post War Fallout

The aim was to develop, create, archive and publish digital artefacts of the personal testimonials of a sample of World War Two refugees and the experiences of Post War British civilians.

The digitally recorded testimonials were researched, produced and directed by Fiona Graham. (They are a work in progress and will be edited to publish in 2018)

Polish, Belgium and British nationals were contacted and researched to be interviewed. The British and European testimonials give a detailed, personal authored account into the situation in Britain and Europe during and at the immediate end of World War Two, examples include:
* Personal British Army male testimonial witnessing post War Europe and the occupation of Germany directly following the end of the War.
* Personal authored account of a Belgium female refugee who escaped the Nazis to live in the UK. Her personal journey and analysis of Post War Europe and refugees and with reference to the refugee crisis today.
* Personal authored account of a Polish Tank Commander in World War Two about his experience both in the War and his account of the Post War fallout and moving to live in the UK.
* Personal authored account of a British civilian living in Stoke on Trent area: an authored account living in the UK as a child immediately after the end of World War Two.

The personal accounts were developed and each person interviewed and recorded using audio and HD camera technology by director of photography Paul Ottey. The decision was made to record the subjects in their own home environments to provide current context to the stories and to provide a contrast to many testimonial interviews that are created on a generic or isolated backdrop.

Note: the project is ongoing to be released to local museums and online publication.

The interviews are stored at the following links with the password ref2020

https://vimeo.com/230897668

https://vimeo.com/230897577

https://vimeo.com/230897439

https://vimeo.com/230897316

https://vimeo.com/230897120

https://vimeo.com/230897019

The unedited films of Post War experiences include interview and are:
IV 1 Polish Tank Commander filmed at the Polish Embassy in London
IV 4 War Veteran and liberator in Germany from Stoke on Trent
IV 5 Belgium refugee who escaped the Nazis living in Birmingham
IV 6 Post War child from Smallthorne, Staffordshire mining town