Plot Synopsis:
Directed by celebrated documentarian Erik Nelson (The Cold Blue), APOCALYPSE '45 includes stunning restorations of never-before-seen archival footage (culled from over 700 reels in the National Archives) in vivid color and surround sound, and the voices of 24 men who lived through these experiences, immersing viewers in the events of the Pacific Theater with an immediacy and presence that brings history to life and serves as a tribute to the last of the Greatest Generation.
Erik Nelson pioneered the genre he describes as "Big Screen History" with his groundbreaking 2018 documentary The Cold Blue, which featured newly-restored footage shot by Oscar-winner William Wyler during his time with the 8th Air Force in World War II. The Cold Blue became the first in this genre of documentary films that would soon be followed by Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old and Todd Miller's Apollo 11.
With unprecedented access to footage shot at the time of the events, restored with state-of-the-art technology, APOCALYPSE '45 brings audiences closer than ever before to this defining chapter of American history, as told (and seen) by the men who were there.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Ford at Pearl - a new featurette containing long-lost color footage directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker John Ford at Pearl Harbor in 1942 (23 minutes)
- Two fully restored Oscar-nominated documentaries from 1945:
- To the Shores of Iwo Jima - Newly Restored 6.5K Color Film, 5.1/Stereo Audio Mix, 20 Minutes.
- The Last Bomb - Newly Restored 6.5K Color Film, 5.1 Stereo/Stereo Audio Mix, 36 Minutes.
- Restoration demonstration
- Trailer