War and Peace – Counting the Cost

Neil Halloran, documentary film maker, started his first web development company, Higher Media, Inc., from his college dorm room in 2001. To date, his body of documentary work, data visualization, and interactive storytelling has sought to raise public understanding of the most challenging issues of our day. His award-winning new media projects include OurBombs.com and AidsinAfrica.net.

In May of 2015, Halloran released his most recent project, The Fallen of World War II. The impactful 18-minute long video breaks down the war’s tragedies with a deeply engaging look at the shocking number of people who died, where they came from and how they lost their lives.

Screenshot from the video depicting deaths from all conflicts from 1940 to today.

This creative effort, which is available both as a video and as an interactive experience, reports on the deaths of both soldiers and civilians, putting those figures into context relative to wars that came before and after. “More people died in World War II than in any other war in history,” Halloran points out on the video.

It is impossible to watch this short documentary without having to catch your breath. If the sheer numbers that are reported are not enough to encourage viewers to become more engaged in working for peace, their creative presentation will certainly promote personal reflection and conversation.

I strongly encourage you to view this video and to continue the conversation with others.

Bronek Korczynski

June 2015