TIFF opens with $20-million historical drama

Actor/filmmaker Paul Gross faced a long fight to put together his film Passchendaele. Assembling the $20-million budget was almost as grueling as the 1917 battle for which tonight's TIFF opener is named - a task that included peddling shares of the film to private investors. Full of huge and dramatic recreations, the drama sticks close to history, blending fact and fiction into a stunning period piece.

September 4, 2008

Actor/filmmaker Paul Gross faced a long fight to put together his film Passchendaele. Assembling the $20-million budget was almost as grueling as the 1917 battle for which tonight's TIFF opener is named - a task that included peddling shares of the film to private investors. Full of huge and dramatic recreations, the drama sticks close to history, blending fact and fiction into a stunning period piece.