Series Synopsis
Before the War on Terror there were other wars, just as violent, just as destructive - but now forgotten. From the jungles of Malaya to the hills of Korea and the brush lands of Africa, The Soldier's Tale tells the story of some of these men and the forgotten battlefields that the tide of history has swept aside. These are the deeply personal stories told by the men who there from both sides of the coin, heroes and foes.
There has been a great deal of coverage recently of major military conflicts.  Stories of war  in Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf have whet the public’s appetite for the lesser known, if not forgotten, “Small Wars” since 1945 - what the British call “Brush Fire Wars” and the French “Empire Wars”. The Soldier's Tale looks at the personal side of these conflicts. The veterans who fought and suffered in these wars tell their stories, as they return to the battlegrounds where blood was shed. These emotional journeys allow the viewer to experience the tragedy, fear and humor that the veterans experienced as young soldiers. Returning them to those places where their own blood was shed will inevitably be an extremely personal and emotional experience for them all.
Rarely have these stories of courage and bravery against sometimes overwhelming odds been told. It is a tragedy that they haven’t, as they were more successful than better-known campaigns, such as the American intervention in Somalia. Other more successful actions, such as the French Foreign Legion’s intervention to save European hostages at Kolwezi central Africa in 1978 have been forgotten. This valiant effort was no less important than any of the other historically canonized campaigns, and equally deserves an accurate historical depiction.
The Soldier's Tale is a four-part documentary series produced by Brush Fire Films (a division of Video Post and Transfer). The programmes are “Return to Limbang,” “700 Legionniares,” “Jungle Cops,” and “The Battle of Long Tan.” All these stories are in danger of being forgotten. And the series documents them through the words of the men who were there - fighting on both sides. Campaigns are more about the soldiers who fought in them than the strategy and politics behind them. The Soldier's Tale reflects this idea, relying heavily on first-person accounts from the men who were in the frontline.
The programmes use rarely seen before archive footage and the personal photos taken by the veterans to give a true and deeply personal insight of the conflicts. The emphasis will be placed on interviews with the veterans and general views of the environment they fought in. The participants on both sides of these events will personally walk the viewer through the terrain of the conflict, retelling their own story supported by a in-depth analysis of the events researched and written by leading historical authors.
Because of the wide international market of the programmes, the “talking head” portions of the interviews will be visually covered with archival images, scenic settings, and full-colour artist impressions will be commissioned to depict the actual battles and characters involved.  An original sound score will be written for each individual programme to suit the ethnic and natural feel of the location. The Soldier's Tale will NOT glorify war; rather, it will be a well-balanced review of recollections through the eyes of the men who were there.