The Berry Boys

The Berry Boys combines animation, historical footage and poetry to tell six stories of Kiwi soldiers fighting in World War l. The documentary's genesis was a box of forgotten negatives found in an art gallery in 1991. The studio portraits of the soldiers — taken by Wellington photographer William Berry — were taken just before they left for training camps and the battlefields of WWI. Some returned home to start new chapters in their lives; others died in battle, or in the case of Rifleman Jack L Braddock, succumbed to illnesses brought on by terrible conditions. Black Seeds musician Barnaby Weir wrote the music.

I signed up all right, for a bit of fun. I just wasn't so good at taking orders.

– Excerpt from a letter by Wellington soldier William Keith Berry

Key Cast & Crew

Tim Gibson

Illustrator/Animator

Nic McGowan

Sound Recordist, Sound Design, Sound Mix

Barnaby Weir

Composer

Paul Sutorius

Editor

Yvonne Mackay

Director, Producer

Steve Boniface

As: Photographer