Sir Peter Jackson’s new documentary film ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ has a "personal" feel for the director.
The acclaimed moviemaker – who is best-known for helming the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films – has revealed how his latest movie connected him with members of his family.
Speaking at the London premiere of ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ on Tuesday (16.10.18), he explained: "My grandfather was there and my gran was killed in the First World War, so … as was very common to a lot of families.
"It was nice to be able to stop doing other films and to pause for a moment and do something that was, you know … something that was a bit more personal."
Peter, 56, also explained how his film differs from previous movies about the conflict.
He told London Live: "There’s a level of the First World War which is under the historian aspect, which is the greater geo-political picture. There have been hundreds, thousands of books written about and there probably will be in the future.
"What I wanted to do, was not to do that. This is not a story about the First World War – this is a story about the men who were there."
Meanwhile, Peter recently argued that war films are "cliched" and too serious.
The award-winning filmmaker said: "I think First World War movies are in danger of being a cliche. They take the most basic concept, which is soldiers going over the top, and that’s all the films are. I’m just not excited about most of them.
"Also, and this is going to sound weird, First World War films are often too serious. They show troops having a miserable time, whereas, if you are in a bad place, humour comes to the surface."
Sir Peter Jackson’s new documentary film feels ‘personal’
