Beginning with the WWI saga All Quiet on the Western Front on the eve of Anzac Day, SBS World Movies presents a series of outstanding war-themed films from around the world (with more streaming at SBS On Demand), featuring stories of combat, espionage, exile and displacement, the psychological and moral toll of war on soldiers and civilians alike, as well as stories that locate the light within these periods of darkness, and many more. The full list of titles is provided below, including airdates and streaming expiries.
WAR STORIES ON SBS WORLD MOVIES:
All Quiet on the Western Front
Saturday 24 April, 8:30pm on SBS World Movies
PG, AD, CC
UK, USA, 1979
Genre: Drama, History, War
Language: English
Director: Delbert Mann
Starring: Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Ian Holm, Patricia Neal
What's it about?
At the start of World War I, Paul Baumer (Thomas) is a young German patriot, eager to fight. Indoctrinated with propaganda at school, he and his friends eagerly sign up for the army soon after graduation. But when the horrors of war soon become too much to bear, and as his friends die or become gravely wounded, Paul questions the sanity of fighting over a few hundreds yards of war-torn countryside. Based on the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque.
Streaming until 30 April, 2022 at SBS On Demand:
The Counterfeiters
Sunday 25 April, 8:30pm on SBS World Movies
MA15+
Germany, 2008
Genre: Drama, War
Language: German
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Starring: August Diehl, Karl Markovics, Devid Striesow
What's it about?
Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch (Markovics) is an expert Jewish counterfeiter enjoying the good life until he’s sent to Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp. Sally manages to survive for five years before transfer to Sachsenhausen, where he is assigned to produce perfect forgeries of British and US banknotes for the Third Reich. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2008.
Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:
The Spy
Monday 26 April, 9:30pm on SBS World Movies
M
Norway, 2019
Genre: Thriller, Drama, History
Language: German, English, Polish, Swedish
Director: Jens Jonsson
Starring: Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Rolf Lassgård, Damien Chapelle, Alexander Scheer, Erik Hivju
What's it about?
Sonja Wigert (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) is a diva and star in Stockholm when WWII breaks out, rapidly getting attention from the Nazi officer Josef Terboven (Alexander Scheer). She's then recruited by Swedish intelligence as a spy, but Terboven makes her spy on the Swedes.
Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:
The Captain
Tuesday 27 April, 9:30pm on SBS World Movies
MA15+
Germany, 2017
Genre: War, Drama, History
Language: German
Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Marko Dyrlich, David Scheller
What's it about?
Based on a true story. Soldier Willi Herold (Hubacher), a deserter of the German army, stumbles into a uniform of Nazi captain abandoned during the last and desperate weeks of the Third Reich in 1945. Newly emboldened by the allure of a suit that he has stolen only to stay warm, Willi discovers that many Germans will follow the leader, whoever he is.
Streaming until 31 October, 2021 at SBS On Demand:
Hurricane
Wednesday 28 April, 9:30pm on SBS World Movies
MA15+
UK, 2018
Genre: War, Drama
Language: English, Polish, German
Director: David Blair
Starring: Iwan Rheon, Milo Gibson, Stefanie Martini, Marcin Dorocinski, Krystof Hádek
What's it about?
The story of the Polish fliers who found themselves fighting for the freedom of their own country in foreign skies. Seen through the eyes of a Polish fighter ace and adventurer, it tells how the Poles—driven across Europe by the German war machine—finally make their last stand. Flying Hurricanes for the RAF over Britain, they became a key component in the legend of ‘The Few’. Up against the might of the Luftwaffe they hoped that, by saving Great Britain from Nazi invasion, they were keeping the dream of a free Poland alive.
Streaming until 28 February, 2022 at SBS On Demand:
A War
Thursday 29 April, 9:30pm on SBS World Movies
M
Denmark, 2015
Genre: Drama, War
Language: Arabic, Danish, Spanish, English
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Starring: Pilou Asbæk, Tuva Novotny, Søren Malling, Charlotte Munck, Dar Salim
What's it about?
Company commander Claus Michael Pedersen (Asbæk) and his men are stationed in Helmand, Afghanistan. Meanwhile back in Denmark, with a husband at war and three children missing their father, everyday life is a struggle for Claus' wife Maria. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy Taliban crossfire. In order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that ultimately sees him return to Denmark accused of a war crime. Directed by Tobias Lindholm (A Hijacking, The Investigation).
Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:
Apocalypse Now Redux
Friday 30 April, 9:35pm on SBS World Movies
MA15+
USA, 1979
Genre: Drama, War
Language: English, French, Cambodian, Vietnamese
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne
What's it about?
At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard (Sheen) is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz (Brando), who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather trilogy, The Conversation), and loosely based on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
Will not be streaming at SBS On Demand:
Never Look Away
Saturday 1 May, 8:30pm on SBS World Movies
M Germany, Italy, 2018 Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance Language: German Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Starring: Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Saskia Rosendahl, Oliver Masucci What's it about?Inspired by real events and spanning three eras of German history, this Oscar-nominated film from The Lives of Others director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck tells the story of a young art student, Kurt (Schilling) who falls in love with fellow student, Ellie (Beer). Ellie's father, Professor Seeband (Koch), a famous doctor, is dismayed at his daughter's choice of boyfriend, and vows to destroy the relationship. What neither of them knows is that their lives are already connected through a terrible crime Seeband committed decades ago.
Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:
WAR STORIES AT SBS ON DEMAND:
Jirga
M Australia, 2018 Genre: Drama, War Language: English Director: Benjamin Gilmour Starring: Sam Smith, Mohammad Mosam, Kefayat Lag Humani, Naqibullah Khan Shinwari What's it about? Made under extraordinary, and extremely dangerous, conditions, and skirting the line between documentary and fiction, this film tells the emotional story of a former Australian soldier who travels to Afghanistan to seek forgiveness.
Streaming until 22 February 2022 at SBS On Demand:
Beanpole
MARussia, 2019Genre: DramaLanguage: RussianDirector: Kantemir BalagovStarring: Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Vasilisa Perelygina, Konstantin Balakirev, Andrey BykovWhat's it about?1945, Leningrad. World War II has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and mentally. Although the siege – one of the worst in history – is finally over, life and death continue their battle in the wreckage that remains. Two young women, Iya and Masha, search for meaning and hope in the struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins.
Streaming until September 14, 2021 at SBS On Demand:
Black Book
MA15+Netherlands, 2006Genre: Drama, Thriller, WarLanguage: Dutch, GermanDirector: Paul VerhoevenStarring: Carice van Houten, Christian Berkel, Sebastian Koch, Michiel HuismanWhat's it about?Rachel Stein (Houten) is hiding in rural Holland in the final stages of the war. When her foster home is destroyed by a bomb, she is rescued by a Resistance fighter and she meets Mr Smaal (Vries) a lawyer helping rich Jews escape. But the planned escape ends in slaughter, including Rachel's family. She joins the Resistance and becomes involved with a high ranking SS officer Ludwig Muntze (Koch), hoping to gather useful information. From Paul Verhoeven, director of Basic Instinct and Elle.
Streaming until November 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Son of Saul
MHungary, 2015Genre: War, DramaLanguage: German, Hungarian, YiddishDirector: Laszlo NemesStarring: Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár, Urs RechnWhat's it about?Saul Auslander (Röhrig) is a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners isolated from Auschwitz in 1944 who were forced to assist the Nazis by cremating the bodies of the dead. Saul discovers the corpse of a boy he believes is his young son. As the other Sonderkommando plan a rebellion, Saul decides to carry out an impossible task: find a rabbi to recite the mourner’s Kaddish and offer the boy a proper burial. Winner of the 2015 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Streaming until December 31, 2021 on SBS On Demand
Foxtrot
MA15+Israel, Germany, 2017Genre: DramaLanguage: Hebrew, GermanDirector: Samuel MaozStarring: Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Yonaton Shiray, Shira Haas, Yehuda AlmagorWhat's it about?Michael (Ashkenazi) and Daphna (Adler) are devastated when army officials show up at their home to announce the death of their son Jonathan. Michael becomes increasingly frustrated by over-zealous relatives and well-meaning army bureaucrats. While his sedated wife rests, he spirals into a whirlwind of emotions, which rival the surreal and darkly comic military experiences of his son. Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Film Festival.
Streaming until August 31st, 2021 at SBS On Demand:
Far from Men
MFrance, 2015Genre: DramaLanguage: French, Spanish, ArabicDirector: David OelhoffenStarring: Viggo Mortensen, Reda Kateb, Djemel Barek, Vincent MartinWhat's it about?Algeria, 1954. While the rebellion rumbles in the valley, two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the Atlas Mountains. Daru, the reclusive teacher, has to escort Mohamed, a villager accused of murder, as they are pursued by vengeful settlers. Based on a short story from Albert Camus, and featuring a music score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
Streaming until May 31st, 2021 at SBS On Demand:
Catch-22
MUSA, 1970Genre: War, Comedy, DramaLanguage: English, French, ItalianDirector: Mike NicholsStarring: Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel, Jack GilfordA bombardier in World War II tries desperately to escape the insanity of the war. However, sometimes insanity is the only sane way to cope with a crazy situation. Based on the novel by Joseph Heller, from director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).
Streaming until December 31, 2021
Into the White
MA15+Norway, Sweden, 2012Genre: Action, War, DramaLanguage: German, EnglishDirector: Petter NæssStarring: Stig Henrik Hoff, Lachlan Nieboer, Rupert Grint, Florian Lukas, David KrossWhat's it about?High above the harsh Norwegian wilderness, English and German pilots shoot each other to the ground after a violent chance encounter. Isolated, they must fight to survive the brutal winter. Though war has made them enemies, antagonism is hard to maintain as days go by. Through mutual need, unlikely friendships bloom. Somehow, they become comrades.
Streaming until March 31, 2022 on SBS On Demand:
A Promise
MA15+ France, Belgium, 2013 Genre: Drama, Romance Language: English Director: Patrice Leconte Starring: Rebecca Hall, Alan Rickman, Richard Madden What's it about?Set in Germany just before WWI, this period drama based on Stefan Zweig's novel and directed by Patrice Leconte (The Man On The Train, Ridicule) centres on a married woman (Hall) who falls in love with her husband's protégé. Separated first by duties and then by the war, they pledge their devotion to one another.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Female Agents
MA15+France, 2008Genre: Drama, History, WarLanguage: FrenchDirector: Jean-Paul SaloméStarring: Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Moritz Bleibtreu, Deborah Francis, Marie GillainWhat's it about?A five-woman commando unit parachutes into occupied France in May 1944 on a daring and dangerous mission to protect the secret of the D-Day Landings and eliminate Colonel Heindrich (Bleibtreu), the head of the German counter-intelligence. sniper Louise (Marceau), sex worker Jeanne (Depardieu), explosives expert Gaelle (Francis), former showgirl Suzy (Gillain), and undercover Italian contessa Maria (Maya Sansa).
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Testament of Youth
M, CCUK, 2014Genre: History, Drama, WarLanguage: EnglishDirector: James KentStarring: Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Dominic West, Emily Watson, Hayley AtwellWhat's it about?A British woman (Academy Award-winner Alicia Vikander in her breakthrough role) recalls coming of age during World War I - a story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times. Based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which has become the classic testimony of that war from a woman’s point of view.
Streaming until March 31, 2022 on SBS On Demand:
T-34
MRussia, 2018Genre: War, Action, Drama, HistoryLanguage: German, RussianDirector: Alexey SidorovStarring: Alexander Petrov, Victor Dobronravov, Irina Starshenbaum, Vinzenz KieferWhat's it about?A group of Russian soldiers led by tank commander Nikolay Ivushkin (Petrov) are captured by German forces marching on Moscow during World War II. To save his team and his country, Ivushkin launches an escape plan with the help of Russian translator Anya (Starshenbaum) and a battered, legendary Soviet T-34 tank.
Streaming until June 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Their Finest
M, AD, CCUK, 2017Genre: Romance, War, Comedy, DramaLanguage: EnglishDirector: Lone ScherfigStarring: Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Richard E. Grant, Jack Huston,What's it about?During the Blitz of World War II, a female screenwriter (Arterton) works on a film celebrating England's resilience as a way to buoy a weary populace's spirits. Her efforts to dramatise the true story of two sisters (Lily Knight and Francesca Knight) who undertook their own maritime mission to rescue wounded soldiers are met with mixed feelings by a dismissive all-male staff.
Streaming until March 31, 2022 on SBS On Demand:
Assembly
MA15+Hong Kong, 2007Genre: Drama, History, Action, WarLanguage: MandarinDirector: Feng XiaogangStarring: Hanyu Zhang, Chao DengWhat's it about?Chinese master of the epic, Feng Xiaogang (I Am Not Madame Bovary), creates an incredible story of heroism and sacrifice. Captain Gu zidi, is sent with his 47 men on a mission to defend a coal mine. The hopelessly outgunned unit use guile, deceit and makeshift artillery to fend off tanks, shells and infantry. Gu zidi is the only man left standing and, after waking in hospital, he is shocked to discover the heroic fallen soldiers have been refused official recognition.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
The Eagle Has Landed
PGUK, 1976Genre: War, Adventure, ThrillerLanguage: English, German, PolishDirector: John SturgesStarring: Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter, Donald PleasenceWhat's it about?When the Nazi high command learns in late 1943 that Winston Churchill will be spending time at a country estate in Norfolk, it hatches an audacious scheme to kidnap the prime minister and spirit him to Germany for enforced negotiations with Hitler.
Streaming until October 31, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Stop-Loss
MA15+USA, 2008Genre: Drama, WarLanguage: EnglishDirector: Kimberly PeirceStarring: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing TatumWhat's it about?A veteran soldier (Phillippe) returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army. Directed by Kimberly Pierce (Boys Don't Cry).
Streaming until December 31, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Whisky Galore
MUK, 2016Genre: Romance, ComedyLanguage: EnglishDirector: Gillies MacKinnonStarring: Gregor Fisher, Eddie Izzard, Naomi Battrick, Ellie Kendrick, Sean BiggerstaffWhat's it about?The story of the inhabitants of the isolated Scottish island of Todday, in the Outer Hebrides, where gloom sets in as their wartime rationing of whisky runs out. When cargo ship the SS Cabinet Minister runs aground the shrewd islanders run rings around the buffoonish English Home Guard commander Captain Waggett (Izzard) and conspire to hide away cases of the precious amber nectar.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Lebanon
MA15+UK, 2009Genre: Drama, WarLanguage: Hebrew, Arabic, FrenchDirector: Samuel MaozStarring: Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Reymond Amsalem, Ashraf BarhomWhat's it about?Set in 1982, during the First Lebanon War, a lone tank and a paratrooper platoon is dispatched to search a hostile town – a simple mission that turns into a nightmare. The four members of a tank crew are sitting ducks, stuck in a violent situation that they cannot contain. Motivated by fear and the basic instinct of survival, they desperately try not to lose themselves in the chaos of war. Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
White Tiger
MRussia, 2012Genre: Action, WarLanguage: RussianDirector: Karen ShakhnazarovStarring: Vladimir Ilin, Valeriy Grishko, Aleksey Vertkov, Vitaly KishchenkoWhat's it about?WWII is drawing to a close. Furious and prolonged fighting is exhausting both the Soviet and the fascist troops. The more decisive the advance of the Soviet army, the more often White Tiger, a huge, indestructible fascist tank, appears in the battlefield. It relentlessly emerges from the smoke of combat, ruthlessly destroys the adversary and swiftly vanishes. No one can either verify or refute its existence. However, the Soviet military command decides to build an extraordinary tank – a special version of the T-34.
Streaming until April 30, 2022 on SBS On Demand:
Transit
MGermany, France, 2018Genre: DramaLanguage: German, FrenchDirector: Christian PetzoldStarring: Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer, Godehard Giese, Lilien BatmanWhat's it about?In an attempt to flee Nazi-occupied France, Georg (Rogowski) assumes the identity of a dead author but soon finds himself stuck in Marseilles, where he falls in love with Maria (Beer), a young woman searching for her missing husband. From Christian Petzold, writer-director of Phoenix and Barbara.
Streaming until April 30, 2022 on SBS On Demand:
For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada
M Mexico, 2012 Genre: History, Drama Language: Spanish, English Director: Dean Wright Starring: Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, Peter O'Toole, Catalina Sandino Moreno What's it about?Mexico, 1926. A bitter and bloody feud between the persecuted Roman Catholic population, and a tyrannical Mexican government, has erupted into a full-scale armed struggle known as the Cristero War, which will claim over 90,000 lives and change the course of North American history forever. When government troops destroy churches, assassinate priests and hang their bodies along railroad tracks, an army of ordinary citizens join forces under the leadership of one man - the charismatic and defiant Enrique Gorostieta (Garcia).
Streaming until June 29, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Fanny's Journey
MBelgium, France, 2016Genre: DramaLanguage: FrenchDirector: Lola DoillonStarring: Léonie Souchaud, Fantine Harduin, Juliane Lepoureau, Cecile de FranceWhat's it about?Fanny (Souchaud) is a Jewish girl in a French orphanage in 1943. When she and her friends are no longer safe from the Nazis, they try to flee to Switzerland. After their guide disappears, Fanny has to take the lead and help the other kids make it over the mountains.
Streaming until June 29, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
The Fortress
MA15+South Korea, 2017Genre: War, Drama, HistoryLanguage: KoreanDirector: Hwang Dong-hyukStarring: Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok, Park Hae-Il, Go SooWhat's it about?In 1636, the Qing dynasty attacks Joseon. King Injo (Park Hae-Il) and his retainers, including Choi Myung-kil (Lee Byung-hun) and Kim Sang-hun (Kim Yoon-seok), hide in the mountain fortress city of Namhansanseong. They are isolated from the outside. Meanwhile, Choi Myung-kil insists that they enter into negotiations with the Qing dynasty, but Kim Sang-hun proposes that they keep fighting.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Zozo
M Sweden, 2005 Genre: Drama, War Language: Swedish, Arabic Director: Josef Fares Starring: Carmen Lebbos, Elias Gergi, Antoinette Turk, Imad Creidi What's it about? Set in the late '80s, when the war in Lebanon is in full swing. Young Zozo's grandparents have migrated to Sweden, where the rest of the family plans to move. On the day their documents are delivered, Zozo is sent on an errand. But, while he is out, his apartment sustains a direct hit.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Purple Butterfly
MA15+ China, France, 2003 Genre: Drama Language: Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese Director: Lou Ye Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Tôru Nakamura, Ye Liu What's it about? Manchuria 1927. Itami (Nakamura), a young Japanese man, falls deeply in love with Cynthia (Zhang Ziyi), a beautiful Chinese girl. Their brief happiness ends when Itami returns home for military service. Three years later, Shanghai is occupied by Japan, and they find themselves on opposite sides of the political struggle.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Delbaran
M Iran, Japan, 2001 Genre: Drama Language: Persian Director: Abolfazl Jalili Starring: Kaim Alizadeh, Rahmatollah Ebrahimi, Hossein Hashemian, Ahmad Mahdav What's it about? Acclaimed director Abolfazl Jalili offers a compassionate story of the young Afghan refugee who lives illegally in Iran. 14-year-old Kaim (Alizadeh) drifts to the Delbaran crossing on the Afghan-Iran border, where he finds work at a coffee shop frequented by truck drivers. As we watch Kaim run from one task to another day after day, we soon realize that we are watching a boy who is being cheated out of his childhood.
Streaming until August 31, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
The Great Battle
MSouth Korea, 2018Genre: History, Action, Drama, WarLanguage: Chinese, KoreanDirector: Kim Kwang-sikStarring: Jo In-sung, Nam Joo-hyuk, Park Sung-Woong, Bae Seong-wooWhat's it about?Kingdom of Goguryeo, ancient Korea, 645. The ruthless Emperor Taizong of Tang invades the country and leads his armies towards the capital, achieving one victory after another, but on his way is the stronghold of Ansi, protected by General Yang Man-chu (Jo In-sung), who will do everything possible to stop the invasion, even if his troops are outnumbered by thousands of enemies.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
The King's Choice
MNorway, 2016Genre: Action, Drama, WarLanguage: Danish, Swedish, GermanDirector: Erik PoppeStarring: Jesper Christensen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Karl Markovics, Tuva NovotnyWhat's it about?On 9 April 1940, German soldiers arrive in the city of Oslo. The King of Norway faces a choice that will change his country forever. This film tells the a story of the three most dramatic days in Norway's history, the royal family's escape and King Haakon's difficult choice after Nazi Germany's invasion of Norway.
Streaming until May 31, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
Swing Kids
MSouth Korea, 2018Genre: Drama, WarLanguage: English, Chinese, KoreanDirector: Kang Hyoung-chulStarring: Doh Kyung-soo, Jared Grimes, Park Hye-su, Oh Jung-seWhat's it about?EXO’s D.O. stars as Roh Ki Soo, a rebellious North Korean soldier held captive as a prisoner-of-war during the Korean War. The P.O.W. Camp’s US military sergeant encourages the prisoners to channel their interests into dancing and Ki-soo joins a tap-dance troupe called ‘Swing Kids.’ Yet suddenly, their dreams about dancing in prison camps are put in danger.
Streaming until September 30, 2021 on SBS On Demand:
