Churchill's Darkest Decision

A ground-breaking and controversial film that sheds light on one of the darkest chapters of the Second World War, through the testimony of some of the men who fought in the little known battles that took place between the French and British navies.

1 x 60 minutes for Channel 4, Thirteen and WNET.org, ABC, ZDF, National Geographic UK

One of the darkest chapters of the Second World War

In the familiar story of 1940 Britain stands alone, facing the Nazi war machine. Winston Churchill spits defiance and the RAF defies the mighty Luftwaffe, forcing Hitler to abandon his plans to invade.

But this documentary tells the story of another important British victory in 1940, one that’s a lot less glorious. It comes on July 3rd, when the Royal Navy kills 13,000 enemy sailors. Not German sailors, but French ones. Some call it a war crime, France’s ‘Pearl Harbor’. But Churchill calls it a turning point in the war.

Churchill’s Darkest Decision is a ground-breaking and controversial film that sheds important new light on one of the darkest chapters of the Second World War, through the testimony of some of the men who fought in the little known battles that took place between the French and British navies.

Sales & licensing

Churchill’s Darkest Decision was commissioned by Channel Four, WNET/PBS (as part of the Secrets of the Dead series), ABC Australia, ZDF and National Geographic UK. It is available for international sales via Channel 4 International.

C4I Distribution Limited, 21-25 St Anne’s Court, London W1F 0BJ

tel: +44 207 494 5790
fax: +44 207 494 5791

Reviews

  • This intelligent, thought-provoking documentary reminded us of the blurred moralities of making war

    Daily Express
  • a celebrated and faintly alarming photograph of Winston Churchill with a machine-gun was the motif for Churchill’s Darkest Decision, a fine and meticulously researched documentary, which showed that teary-eyed pride can be misplaced.

    The Independent
  • a fascinating film

    Daily Telegraph
  • A riveting documentary […] a gripping story of an act that is either a war crime or a national salvation

    Daily Mail
  • An absorbing film that shows Churchill at his most ruthless

    The Sunday Times