''William Kelly's War'' is a 2014 Australian film, set during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was directed by Geoff Davis, and written by his sons Josh and Matthew.

Cast

Tony Bonner Anthony Frederick Bonner (born 23 November 1943) is an Australian television, film and stage actor and singer. Bonner became famous in the 1960s children's television series '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'', later moving on to lead roles in the ...

as Mr. Kelly, the patriarch of the family. He is killed by

bushrangers Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under ...

while Billy is fighting in Europe. * Josh Davis as William "Billy" Kelly, an Australian soldier in

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

and France during

* Matthew John Davis as Jack Kelly, the brother of Billy * Ella McIlvena as Jess Kelly, the sister of Billy * Helen Davis as Marjorie Kelly, the matriarch of the family * Lachy Hume as Paddy, the cousin of the Kelly siblings * Maureen Alford

Production

The battle and trench scenes were shot on the Davis family farm in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, with fortifications being made from chipboard, mud, and cement.

Release

The film was originally titled ''The Stolen'' when it premiered in

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...

in May 2014 and was released in theatres across rural

on 30 October that year.

References

External links

* 2014 films Australian war drama films Australian World War I films World War I films based on actual events 2014 war drama films 2014 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s Australian films {{WWI-drama-film-stub