Documentary on Lancaster bombers premieres Remembrance Day

A film documenting the historic reunion of the world'stwo remaining airworthy Lancaster bombers will screen for the first time on Remembrance Day, when it willbe shown forfree inselect theatres across Canada.

Cineplex Entertainment will premiere the documentary Reunion of Giants, which follows the transatlantic journey of a 70-year-old Avro Lancaster to Englandand its highly successfulsummer tour therewith the only other airworthy Lancaster in the world. With the screening, Cineplex says,Canadians will have a chance to remember the valiant crews whoflew andmaintained theSecond World War-era planes.

"It's a big deal," said Morgan Elliott, who is making the film with her Dundas company Suddenly SeeMore Productions.

"We really want people to come on Remembrance Day and enjoy a free movie and reflect on what the brave men ofthe bomber command did."

The voyage took place in the summer of 2014, when crews flewthe planefromthe CanadianWarplaneHeritage Museum in Hamilton to the United Kingdom.

It wasn't an easy journey for the bomber, which is named VeRA. It flew viaGoose Bay, Labrador andIceland during its transatlantic flight. Alongthe way, the crew encountered an engine failure, an emergency landing and a storm. Thousands of peoplecame out to seeVeRAand her English counterpart, Thumper, take to the skies together during a series of appearances around the country.

• Filmmakers release remarkable footage of Lancasters in flight

The last timeLancastersflew together was 50 years ago over Toronto, atRCAFStationDownsview. TheRCAFflew a special formation of three of the bombers in April 1964 to mark their retirement from service.

The documentary includes interviews with veterans of the RoyalAir Force's bomber command.

The film is in the final stages, Elliott says. The team is adding the score now. The project has become "the little engine that could."

She also hopes to plan an official red-carpet screening in the Hamilton area.

Cineplex says it will announce participating theatres inSeptember and make free tickets available Oct. 2.