“War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” ~ Bertrand Russell

For Let’s Go to the Movies this week, we recommend Christian Carion’s cinematization of an actual event of humanity, civilization, and culture during the First Great European War—the secret truce between German, French, and British soldiers at Christmas in 1914.

On a battlefront in France, for a few hours during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the enemy soldiers rediscover the one great factor of unity—their humanity and brotherhood.

Among the German soldiers is an opera singer who begins to sing Silent Night for his troops; Scottish soldiers hear him and join in with their bagpipes. Soon enough, the music brings the men out of the trenches to meet in the no-man’s-land of the Brotherhood of Man.

Based on a real story, Joyeux Noël (released in 2005) was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.

Joyeux Noël can be bought or rented on various platforms and can be watched for free (with ads) in the United States on Tubi.

Related:

Silent Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce (by Timeline) on YouTube

Joyeux Noël on Wikipedia

Le Monument des Fraternisations

The Christmas Truce (by Imperial War Museum) on YouTube

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