Billy Bishop Goes to War

Based on the highly successful musical stage play about the real life exploits of one of Canada’s best known flying aces, Billy Bishop Goes to War begins in 1914 as Bishop joins the Royal Military College and begins his long journey into the heart of WWI, starting as a Cavalry Officer and eventually becoming a pilot. His feats as a fighter pilot distinguish him as one of the most renowned flying aces of the First World War. This film is an adaptation of Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company’s stage production. The story unfolds through a combination of songs, poetry and story telling as Billy Bishop (Eric Peterson) relives his life from the perspective of a 62 year old man; recounting the exploits of a young dare devil playing war games, to becoming an angry, cynical killer, and ultimately a pacifist in a story about the “resilience of the human spirit.” Billy Bishop Goes to War premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010.