Instrument of War

In Instrument of War, American B-24 bomber pilot Clair Cline (Jack Ashton) is held at the German POW camp Stalag Luft I after being shot down over Nazi-occupied Holland during a bombing mission. Although one war ends for Cline, another begins - to keep hope alive. He and his fellow crew members struggle to keep themselves psychologically sound while living in captivity. To help maintain his sanity and lift his fellow prisoners' spirits, Cline - a self-taught musician - trades Red Cross rations with other prisoners and the guards to get the tools and supplies he needs to craft a violin using bunk-bed slats, the leg of a chair, dried glue from the bottom of chairs, and a shard of glass as a wood-carving tool. The ingenious homemade violin is completed in time for Christmas, and Cline became known throughout the camp for playing traditional carols on it. Inspired by Cline’s true story, the film was made with the cooperation of his family and includes excerpts from the diary that his wife kept throughout her husband's captivity. (St. Louis International Film Festival)