Mike Slee
The Great Martian War 1913 - 1917 (La Grande Guerra Marziana)

Produced in 2013 by the History Channel and conceived by two (almost) newcomers, this web series aims to tell (through archival footage and testimonies of survivors) the truth about the great conflict that from 1913 to 1917 saw European powers clash (with, only in the last period of clashes, the United States) with a (presumably) Martian invasion force. Beyond the account of the military events, the film goes further and, through the recent discovery (and their deciphering) of documents belonging to the aliens, poses disturbing questions about the future (valuable are the ideas, in this regard, of two eminent historians consulted) of humanity itself, almost a hundred years after that event that marked our History.

The style is dry, in the best tradition of the History Channel, the documentary narrative adheres strictly to the facts and the images (many of which were still unpublished) despite the veil of years are still raw in their ruthlessness.

For years many have tried to give a definitive vision of those sad events (some like H.G. Wells had even predicted them) while the propaganda of the strong powers tried to pass alternative versions (often banning realistic reconstructions like that of Orson Welles) where the "Martian" hypothesis was continuously discarded: now we finally have a definitive fresco that provides answers but, unfortunately, still raises questions.

Mockumentary

An "Alternative" Review

Mo.