Haunting Nazi Secrets Revealed in New Film Screening in Falmouth

A chilling new documentary, Ghosts of Alderney – Hitler’s Island Slaves, will be screened at the Poly in Falmouth on 12th November, exposing the hidden atrocities of the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands 80 years ago.

Uncovering Britain’s Darkest Chapter

Produced by Devon-based company Wild Dog, the film follows artist Piers Secunda as he investigates what he calls “the biggest mass murder on British soil”. Piers delves “beyond the numbers” to uncover the stories of slave labourers shipped to Alderney to build a fortress for Hitler.

Through years of research, Piers has pieced together accounts from the families of French Jews, Spanish Republicans and Ukrainians who were brutalised by the Nazis.

📷Piers Secunda during filming in Paris - Credit: Wild Dog Productions

Years in the Making

The hour-long documentary has taken over five years to create, co-produced by former BBC current affairs producer Zoe Clough and former BBC correspondent Robert Hall. It features music by David Knopfler, former guitarist of Dire Straits, and is directed by Andrew Johnstone, who also worked as producer, editor and director of photography.

Andrew described the film as “enlightening, sobering and revealing”, calling it “a story of our time”. He said:

“The far right and fascism are on the rise again, and we’re finding other communities to blame for our position. All of this is exactly what Hitler was doing in the 1930s – othering a whole community – and that’s why this story is relevant now. Because we’re seeing it again.”

📷Andrew Johnstone, right, filming a re-enactment that features in the film - Credit: Wild Dog Productions

A Forgotten Story

The film also draws attention to the lack of justice and accountability surrounding what happened on Alderney. Evidence from the UK Government’s 2024 review revealed that over 1,000 slave workers died on the island, yet no-one faced British justice.

Screenings and Tickets

Ghosts of Alderney – Hitler’s Island Slaves has already been screened at festivals in Worcester, Montreal and Jersey, and is currently showing in Guernsey.

The Falmouth screening takes place at 7.30pm on 12th November at the Poly, followed by a Q&A with Andrew Johnstone.

For more information about the documentary, visit wilddogworld.com/ghostsofalderney/