PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
40 years ago, the film Bridge on the River Kwai created a legend that has endured ever since. The film told a story of a British Colonel who collaborated with his Japanese captors during WWII to build a bridge over the river Kwai. Many believed that the film was a true representation of history, while the filmmakers said it was fiction.

But there really was a bridge over the river Kwai. In fact, it still exists. And there was even a British Colonel whose job had been to supply the Japanese with the workforce to build it.

In the hope that one day the true story would be told, Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey, the commander of the Bridge Camp, left behind nearly 50 hours of taped memoirs recounting his experiences during captivity. Using these tapes, eyewitness accounts of those who built the real bridge, and an astonishing correspondence with Colonel Toosey kept with his Japanese captor after the war, this film uncovers a story even more remarkable than the legend created by the film. In reality, Toosey saved most of his men by working on the bridge, and was viewed as a hero by them. Even his captor respected him, and credited him with later saving his life after World War II.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Producer Paul Elston
Series Editor Laurence Rees
Narrated by Susanna York

DURATION
1x50'