Field Punishment No.12014

Director
Peter Burger

Acters

Fraser Brown (Archibald Baxter)
Byron Coll (Mark Briggs)
Michael Whalley (William Little)
Jason Hodzelmans (John Baxter)
Victoria Abbott (Sophie)
Damien Avery (Sandy Baxter)

In 1916, the New Zealand Government secretly shipped 14 of the country’s most outspoken conscientious objectors to the Western Front in an attempt to convert, silence, or quite possibly kill them. This is their story.
This is the story of New Zealand’s first conscientious objectors. Archibald Baxter, Mark Briggs and hundreds of other men refused to be conscripted into the First World War and refused to renounce their personal beliefs. We follow the journey of fourteen of these pacifists who were arrested for their stance against the war and secretly shipped off to Europe. How these men were stigmatised and tortured in an attempt to break their spirit makes for a dramatic and brutal story of war – but how they dealt with the cruelty is even more extraordinary.
“Field Punishment No 1 is well acted, superbly located and scripted, and will be a treasure for generations to come.” – STUFF.CO.NZ
“Field Punishment No 1 is an excellent film and a respectful way to help record the centenary of one of the worst wars in history. Just when you thought that you knew all the depraved things that happened 100 years ago you realise there’s more out there to surprise you.” – Blueprint: Review
“Field Punishment No.1 impressed me in a way I hadn’t expected as it was not only well made but made an impact when it came to telling the story of these conscientious objectors.” – The Movie Scene