Who is Jack?

This short documentary (approx 20 mins), will see Jack Mann, a 96 year old WW2 Special Forces veteran tell his war time story for the first time in front of a camera.

Jack, a British citizen was born in Egypt into a Jewish family. At the outbreak of war, Jack's uncle encouraged him to join the British Army.  Initially Jack served in the Royal Corps of Signals, but due to his unique skills was quickly recruited into the Special Forces, where he was promised to see plenty of action.

Image © Helen Oakes

Why is this film worth making?

Jack, as far as we know, is the last surviving WW2 veteran who served in the Long Range Desert Group, Special Air Service and Special Boat Squadron.  He is one of just four surviving members of the Long Range Desert Group living in the UK.  At the time of serving in WW2 Jack was one of the youngest members of the Special Forces, and now at 96 years old, most of his contemporaries have already passed away.  Recording Jack's memories on film is so important; we should not miss this opportunity to hear Jack's unique voice.

Image © Helen Oakes

Filmed and Directed by Ross Pierson

As a veteran himself, Ross believes that it is important to preserve the stories from previous conflicts so that we can teach future generations about past sacrifices and experiences of war. 

With your help, Jack's unique story will have a platform to inspire, educate and move anyone who watches this short documentary.

This is Ross's first directing credit, having trained at the National Film & TV School.  He has already worked on a number of other high profile BBC, ITV, Netflix, HBO and Warner Brothers factual and drama productions in below the line roles. Credits include The Bay - ITV, Gentleman Jack - BBC, Grace -  ITV, Bridgerton - Netflix and The Repair Shop - BBC.

Image © 2021

How you can help?

By donating funds to this project, you will become part of our team.  No matter what your pledge is, large or small you will be contributing to a unique project.

Funds will be used for:

• Production Costs (what it cost to film the documentary; equipment, travel, crew fees etc).
• Post Production Costs (what it cost to put the film together; Editing the documentary, Archive licencing fees, music, etc).
• Film Festivals (Promoting the documentary to industry).
• Crowdfunding and banking fees, plus the production and delivery of rewards.

What you get?

Everyone who donates becomes part of the family that will have made this unique project happen. We are extremely grateful for your generosity. We have chosen rewards that we hope will reflect our gratitude to your contribution.

Head to the right-hand side of this page, choose a reward, click it and you are nearly there!

Other ways you can help?

Use social media and Greenlit’s share tools to help spread the word.

Mention our campaign to businesses that might know someone who can support and sponsor us.

FAQs

When will the film be made and published?

Production started in late 2021 and post-production is due for completion in early 2022. The documentary should all be finished in early 2022 when it will be ready to be submitted to film festivals.

As soon as we set a date for the on-line premier, those who have bought a ticket will be emailed the date.

What will you do with the film once it is finished?

All micro-budget productions come with the challenge of promoting and commercialising. The film will be submitted to film festivals. Once the film festival circuit is over, we will seek to have the documentary published with an aligning terrestrial or online broadcasting platform.

What will you do with any extra funds raised?

Any extra funds will help us to promote the documentary and provide initial pre-production funds to film additional special forces veterans for a new documentary.

How can I promote the film crowdfunding campaign?

If you are passionate about remembering the stories of our WW2 veterans please, spread the word and post online. Tell your family and friends about our documentary. Tweet or Facebook about our film, share a link to our crowdfunding page and don’t forget to include #jackmanndoc

Can I choose more than one reward?

Yes you can.  But you need to pay for each reward individually by completing the checkout per reward.

When will rewards be shipped?

Once the campaign reaches it's advertised completion date, we will process all the physical rewards.  Physical rewards will not be shipped until the campaign is over.  Facebook rewards will be published as we go along.