As the Second World War drew to a close, the German city of Dresden was disfigured beyond all recognition by the bombs of Britain’s Royal Air Force. This explosive documentary paints a vivid and affecting picture of the destruction of Dresden.

In February 1945, Dresden was one of the most beautiful cities in the world; a hotbed of arts and culture overflowing with baroque and rococo architecture. It had been a leading centre of the Romantic movement, and also served as the hub of the German opera scene.

Unknown to its residents, the city was teetering on the edge of destruction. In just one night and one day, Britain's Royal Air Force unleashed the first wave in a deadly storm of thousands of tonnes of incendiary bombs. By April 17, British and American forces had heaped over 4,000 bombs upon Dresden, effectively reducing the beleaguered city to rubble.

Accounts of the damage vary from source to source. It is generally agreed that at least 25,000 people were killed, yet some estimates place the figure as high as 135,000. Many of Dresden’s famous landmarks, such as the Zwinger Palace and the Hofkirche were terribly damaged. The ruins of the Frauenkirche were left in their deconstructed state for many years as a war memorial.

Debate also rages concerning the morality and efficacy of the bombing. British and American politicians maintained that the raid was a military necessity. The allies aimed to prevent the German army from using the city as a base of operations. They also hoped to disrupt the use of Dresden for munitions manufacture, as well as eliminating the German army’s ability to reinforce a counter-attack against Marshall Konev's extended line. They also argued that that the city’s proximity to anti-aircraft defences and military units meant that it was not ‘undefended’. Furthermore, German participation in the Battle of the Bulge had exploded the myth that the war would soon be over.

The claim that the raids hastened the end of the war is an extremely contentious one. Writers like Günter Grass and Gregory H. Stanton have labelled the bombing a ‘war crime’, drawing a moral parallel between the destruction of Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and the heinous crimes of the Nazis. They argue that awareness of the enormous civilian cost of the attack should have outweighed any military considerations. Dresden did not have a military garrison; most of its industry was in the outskirts, rather than the targeted city centre.

The human tragedy of February 1945 cannot be disputed. This documentary is based on 300 interviews with survivors. Sebastian Dehnhardt portrays the destruction of Dresden in the form of a ‘real-time’ historical reportage. As the attacks unfold chronologically, they are counter pointed by the accounts of British pilots and Dresden residents. Their recollections form the basis for the visual reconstruction of the bomb attacks. We experience the atmosphere of tension and dread which permeated every corner of British headquarters, and evoke the panicked mood of Dresden’s disintegrating streets.