An Accidental Soldier by Blake Ayshford

JUDGES' COMMENTS 

Adapted from the novel Silent Parts by John Charalambous, An Accidental Soldier is set towards the end of the first World War and tells the story of Australian Harry Lambert, a gentle, unmarried baker from a country town who finds himself a reluctant soldier at the front in France. Cannon fodder. Faced with the senseless carnage of war, Harry makes the split-second decision to flee, finding refuge in the house of Colombe Jacotot. Working in a munitions factory by day, Colombe has her own reasons for risking her life and liberty by harbouring a deserter.

Blake Ayshford’s screenplay is a beautifully crafted love story between two disparate souls who come together in the uniquely pressured climate of war. It is a delicate reflection on the nature of courage, in life and love. The writing is visually and emotionally descriptive without being verbose, allowing the reader to experience the story as it is intended to unfold on screen. Ayshford has taken the challenge of building a convincing and nuanced relationship between characters who don’t share a spoken language and has done so with restraint, sensitivity and assurance.