Fire and Ice: The Winter War of Finland and Russia
In November of 1939, when Finland was invaded by the Soviet Union, no one expected that this tiny nation could resist the largest military force in the world. And no one anticipated that 1939 would be one of the coldest winters in recorded history – a winter many historians have described as a ‘frozen hell.’
Filmed on the old battlefields of Finland and Russia, “Fire and Ice” dramatically depicts the intensity of the warfront and the homefront. Outnumbered and outgunned, Finns knew this war was not about changing the borders between nations. The Winter War involved all of Finland’s people, including its women who organized themselves into a unique corps called Lotta Svärd. Finland's fierce resistance changed the course of World War II and saved a democracy. “Fire and Ice” is a timeless story of courage against all odds, of a people united to preserve their freedom.
Producer/Director/Writer Ben Strout, 2006
DVD, 79 minutes, Color