This is a short 16mm film clip of my grandparent’s 1944 Christmas celebration. At the time they lived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I made a digital copy of the original 16mm film, which is presented as is, without modification or editing. I did, however, add the sound effects. The background “clanking” is the sound made by a 16mm film projector. I included that to remind us that this was sourced from film. The other sounds are intended to convey the ambiance of the event. It was certainly a time to celebrate, as the family was all together after having been split apart, and it was before they fully understood the devastation the war took on their relatives elsewhere in the world.
Going clockwise around the table, you can see Uncle Fritz, my grandmother’s brother, my mother (the 15 year old girl), Freddie, Uncle Fritz’s son, Tante Suzy, my grandmother’s sister, Tante Helen, Frtiz’s wife, Paul, Suzy’s son, my grandmother, and last, my grandfather who presents the toast at the end.