On Friday 28 June 2024, twenty-four members of Ad Pacem met up at around 9pm at the entrance to the Carrières d’Haudainville, near the town of Verdun (F), to watch Europe’s largest Sound and Light show on the 14-18 war.
The scenic representation of major historical events in the Battle of Verdun (F) began at dusk and ended around midnight. Through the intersecting destinies of Germans and Frenchmen, the audience witnessed the relentless chain of events that led to the First World War. Thanks to a good sound system and professional staging, spectators had the impression of plunging right into the heart of the fighting, into the “Hell of Verdun”, with the evocation of the suffering and anguish of the soldiers and their families. Whether in the French or German trenches, the soldiers suffered the same fate: the cold, the mud, the lice and the rats… with, sometimes, a little respite at the back despite the nights full of anxiety about the fighting to come.
All the scenes are designed to shock with their truth: gripping battle scenes, stabbing attacks, death awaiting the attackers, firemen in a burning Verdun, a funfair in a back-front town, the first air battle in history… At the same time, the show is characterised by a concern to educate: through the narrative, the portrayal of the characters and the alternation of frenetic and calm tableaux or sequences, audiences of all ages can witness this painful chapter in humanity and keep a vivid memory alive.
The technical resources deployed to achieve this feat are extensive: special effects, giant image projections on the quarry walls and impressive sets. All this was achieved with 200 actors, most of them volunteers, 800 costumes, hundreds of spotlights and floats, a period train, etc.
The show ends with a German and French soldier shaking hands under the light of a torch held by a civilian. Yesterday’s enemies have become today’s friends.
