Hellfire Pass (1987)

Synopsis

The construction of the Thai-Burma railway began in 1943 with a substantial number of Allied prisoners of war and Asian conscripts providing the bulk of the labour. By the time the railway was completed, more than 100,000 men had died in a tragic chapter of WWII, remembered as the Hellfire Pass. This film is the journey back, some 40 years on, of a dedicated group of ex-servicemen from Australia, the UK and Holland, intent on rediscovering the treacherous cuttings and dedicating Hellfire Pass as a monument to those who died under extreme conditions. Led by legendary hero Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, the Australian contingent of veterans, many in their seventies, decided to retrace the section of the line they had built in search of the site of the notorious Hintok Mountain Camp. Along the way the men share their incredible stories of comradeship and explore the bonds of friendship that enabled them to survive and ultimately return to pay their respects.