Women were often relegated to (at best) secondary roles in First World War films, typically appearing only as pining mothers, lovers left behind, or romantic dalliances in the brief respites from combat. However, over the decades filmmakers began to turn increasing attention to the experiences of those who were left behind when the boys went marching off to war. Ninety years after John Ford's tender home-front drama Four Sons, Xavier Beauvois directed this portrait of a French farming family whose young men are conscripted and go off to fight, leaving the women to take over traditionally male roles of running the farm even as they anxiously await news of their loved ones on the front lines. Beautifully photographed and perfectly balanced, The Guardians is a resonant tribute to those who fought a different kind of war.
The Guardians with Leah Cuffe
Prior to our screening of Xavier Beauvois' home-front drama The Guardians, Leah Cuffe, wife of our Great War on Film guest Mike Trauner, speaks about the experiences of those non-combatants who witness their loved ones go off to battle and return home wounded or traumatized.

Leah Cuffe
Leah Cuffe is an advocate for injured and ill servicemen and servicewomen struggling with release, rehabilitation, and recovery. Her advocacy began in 2008 when her husband, Master Corporal Mike Trauner, was injured in the line of duty. In 2013 she received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her fundraising efforts, and in 2014 she was nominated as one of CTV’s Amazing People. She recently received the Veterans Ombudsman Commendation for her work.

Guest
Leah Cuffe
Leah Cuffe is an advocate for injured and ill servicemen and servicewomen struggling with release, rehabilitation, and recovery. Her advocacy began in 2008 when her husband, Master Corporal Mike Trauner, was injured in the line of duty. In 2013 she received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her fundraising efforts, and in 2014 she was nominated as one of CTV’s Amazing People. She recently received the Veterans Ombudsman Commendation for her work.