Tuesday May 27, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
After successful Premiere showings in numerous locations across Canada to sold out-crowds throughout 2024, Fallen Heroes: Their Journey Home comes to Victoria on May 29.
As the anniversary of D-Day approaches on June 6, the film is being presented at the Silver City Cineplex Victoria Cinemas at Tillicum Mall in Victoria.
“This is a powerful documentary following stories of courage, sacrifice, and soldiers’ final journey home through interviews with veterans and family members of our fallen military from across Canada,” says the film’s producer Karen Storwick.
Interspersed with historical recreations of events, the movie highlights the impact the Canadian Forces during the war in Afghanistan. Over a 14-year campaign, more than 40,000 Canadian military service people went to war in Afghanistan.
The film showcases the experience of soldiering and the inevitable traumas that come from peacemaking in war.
VIEW THE TRAILER: Click Here to view the 2 min 30 sec Fallen Heroes Trailer.
- TICKETS: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/29-may-2025-fallen-heroes-their-journey-home-victoria
- Ticket Price: $25.00 General Public | $15 Military, Family, Veterans, Children under 16 and Seniors
- Date: Thursday May 29, 2025
- Doors Open: 6:00 | Show Time: 7:00 – 8:30
- Seating: First come first serve
- Theatre Location: Silver City Cineplex Victoria Cinemas, 3130 Tillicum Road, Victoria, BC
Film Background:
During filming many Alberta locations were used, local people and veterans from across Canada took part as volunteer actors and production crew. Scenes of fallen Canadian soldiers on their “final” journey home along the Toronto 401 highway, which became known as the Highway of Heroes, were recreated in Sturgeon County. Other recreations of important Canadian campaign actions in the war were filmed in places like the Military Museums and Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Cypress County, and CFB Suffield, Alberta.
Produced by Combined Forces Production Collaborative, the movie hopes to elevate this little-known Canadian history helping people understand why Canadians went to Afghanistan and the impact of the war. It leaves the viewer with a sense of pride in the service of thousands of Canadian Forces members, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.
“The movie is a labour of love, a long time in the making,” says Karen Storwick, producer. “We need to keep this history alive and continue to tell the story of the touching repatriation of each fallen soldier. No other country in the world was doing this, but soon others took notice and followed Canada’s lead.”
War background:
More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in Afghanistan over the 14-year campaign. Very few Canadians understand why this country was in Afghanistan and why it was important — yet it was Canada’s longest war which saw the deaths of 159 soldiers and four civilians.
Three times that number came home with physical wounds and countless more with moral and stress injuries. Over 200 Canadian soldiers have committed suicide since their return home from the war.
Fallen Heroes is the template for a 10-part documentary series on the war in Afghanistan preserving this little known history for future generations.
Afghanistan was the most significant operation for the Canadian Armed Forces in two generations. The war in Afghanistan put Canada in the centre of the global map. Along with our NATO partners, Canada was commanding combat operations in Kandahar, ships in the Persian Gulf, and, unprecedented for Canada, we had Generals in command of all NATO forces.
It was an unusual time in Canadian history where both governing and opposition parties were working in concert in support of the war. All political obstacles and red tape were lifted to equip our soldiers in the field as effectively as possible.
For an extended period of 5 years, Canada alone was responsible for security in the most volatile region of the country where we were punching far above our weight. We had an important seat at the table and gained an immeasurable amount of respect from other NATO nations. Our efforts were second only to the United States. Although certainly, the British contribution was as significant, proportionately Canada lost more soldiers than Britain and we were better equipped.
“Canada was the only country with tanks in the field, our pilots were the most daring, our snipers the best in the world, our infantry incredibly courageous and kinetic,” says Storwick. “And, uniquely Canadian, our soldiers brought their values into the field. Our soldiers were intuitively sensitive to the needs of the people and in Afghanistan they made lifelong friends with their Afghan partners.”
“In many cases our soldiers would read the Koran ahead of their deployment in order to better understand the people they were going over to help,” added Storwick.
