There is an urgency in the drama that makes a compelling point about the importance of remembering the past, and more crucially, remembering the valuable contribution made by soldiers of colour whose tales of valour are all too often airbrushed out of history.
The short film is helmed by Wolverhampton director Neil Paul, who also takes a role in the film, and the vision that propels the central theme of the tale is the corrosive effects of ignorance and hatred.
Soon, the insidious darkness of 21st century racism and hatred will attack the old forgotten soldier. The old man looks up and his eyes are lit with memories, and emotions ripple silently over his face as the sky overhead darkens and night prowls around him. The old man stands in the cold twilight looking up at the colossal stone sculpture of a proud Sikh soldier standing to attention, looking out at a past that has been largely erased or ignored by historians. The catalyst for the tragedy is an act of violence against an elderly Sikh man who’s come to see ‘The Lions of the Great War’ monument to his fallen brothers in arms. The script uses the springboard of the 10-foot high monument being defaced to open up a wider story that touches upon several characters which leads to a tragic climax where the protagonists – and the viewer – are faced with moral dilemmas surrounding hate, justice and the cancerous impact of violent revenge. The Forgotten Soldier removes the veils of prejudice and racism to reveal a short story, inspired by real events, about the defacing of a World War I monument in Smethwick commemorating the contributions of South Asian soldiers during World War I. A new short film, shot on location in the West Midlands, shares a timely story about past, present and future, and makes an urgent plea for understanding during divisive times.ĭirector Neil Paul’s contemporary tale The Forgotten Soldier touches upon the sacrifices made by Sikh soldiers during World War I which have been largely confined to the dusty pages of history.
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