Gallipoli: The Frontline Experience (Tolga Örnek, 2005) is a 120-minute documentary suitable for senior secondary and tertiary students about the campaign at Gallipoli in the First World War. It traces the campaign from its inception, through the invasion, to the final failure and retreat. It looks in detail of the experience of the Australian, British, New Zealander and Turkish leaders and soldiers. It focuses in particular on the experiences of several individuals as well as the larger picture, and uses historical reconstructions or re-enactments extensively to bring a sense of being ‘on the spot’ now for a modern audience.

Tolga Örnek, the film’s writer and director, emphasizes that the film focuses on the human aspects of the campaign and portrays the emotions, fears, and sufferings of the ordinary soldiers in the trenches, without any discrimination of religion, language or race. The battle is being told through the diaries and letters of two British, three New Zealand, three Australian and two Turkish soldiers selected from hundreds of soldiers who have served in the campaign. The film aims to portray the historical importance of Gallipoli based on facts, and from the perspectives of common soldiers who are representative of the thousands of soldiers from both sides. To achieve this, the filmmakers have used thousands of diaries, letters and documents.

The study guide includes many opportunities to explore representations of war in documentary texts and the production processes of documentary films; the signs, codes and conventions, through Andrew Denton’s television interview with the director, photographs, creative activities and critical analysis.

Curriculum Links:
Gallipoli: The Frontline Experience is a rich resource to support the study of the experience of Australians and others in the First World War. It is appropriate for middle–upper secondary students. It can be used in a variety of curriculum areas:
• History
• Society and environment
• Time, change and continuity
• English issues (War, Leadership, Conflict)
• Civics and citizenship
• Values education
• Media studies