Spitfire 944 is a short documentary with an Honorable Mention from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It was highlighted in May as part of a Memorial Day post by the Sundance website.

The film was spurred by the discover of old 16mm videos taken by a now deceased military doctor in 1944. A relative who found the films was able to track down LtCol John Blyth, who appears in the film as he bellies in his Spitfire following an unarmed reconnaissance mission into Germany.

The film is fascinating, from both a historical perspective of aviation in World War II, from the human perspective of watching the retired LtCol Blyth see himself in video — which he sees for the first time ever.

The 14-minute YouTube video of the documentary now has over a million views.

Via the Mad Padre.

ADVERTISEMENT