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Home by Christmas

Home by Christmas

Drama, War

1h 33m

April 29, 2010 (15 years ago)

Overview

A remarkable memoir of resilience, determination and love.Based on filmmaker Gaylene Preston's interviews with her father about his World War II experiences, reconstructed with actor Tony Barry as Ed Preston. Weaving strands of poetic imagined drama, and archival footage into the interview, Preston presents both sides of her parents' wartime marriage: the horror and hardship of battlefield and prison camp juxtaposed with the loneliness and grief of a young wife struggling with a newborn baby and a husband declared missing.Ed Preston, on his way home from rugby practice in 1940, joins the New Zealand Army to go to World War II. His new wife, Tui, is pregnant and distraught, but he tells her not to worry, he'll be home by Christmas. And so he is - four years later - after escaping from a prison camp in Italy. But while Ed is away, Tui has fallen in love with another man.

ActorAge thenAge now
Martin Henderson

Martin Henderson

Ed Preston

Birthday: October 8, 1974

3550
Jed Brophy

Jed Brophy

Mart Preston

Birthday: January 1, 1963

4762
Tony Barry

Tony Barry

Ed

Birthday: August 28, 1941

68 December 21, 2022 (81)
Nick Blake

Nick Blake

Les Harker

Birthday: -

--
Byron Coll

Byron Coll

Hoppy

Birthday: -

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Peter Hambleton

Peter Hambleton

Sgt Syd Gurton

Birthday: January 1, 1960

5065
Richard Knowles

Richard Knowles

Vic

Birthday: -

--
Kate McGill

Kate McGill

Selina

Birthday: -

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Chelsie Preston Crayford

Chelsie Preston Crayford

Tui

Birthday: January 1, 1987

2338