DVD Review: Turned Towards The Sun

Turned Towards The Sun is a documentary film about Michael “Micky” Burn, M.C., a man who lived quite a remarkable life, as soldier, as poet, meeting some of the twentieth century’s most prominent people along the way. It opens with Micky in the hospital getting his hearing checked, and he begins talking about an event from World War II, which he says happened exactly sixty-six years earlier. At the time this was shot, he was ninety-six years old. When asked about the secret to his longevity, Micky answers, “Always be in love, with either someone or something.” He recommends being enthusiastic about something, committed to something.

Micky Burn was a published poet, and the film does include footage of him reading passages from his poetry. But perhaps more significant is the part he played on the raid of Saint Nazaire during the second world war. And in this documentary he returns there to recount the events. The film uses some footage from an earlier documentary on the raid on St. Nazaire, featuring a somewhat younger Micky Burn (that documentary was made in 1973). There is also German footage of the capture of Micky and other soldiers involved in the raid. Micky Burn ended up as a prisoner of war, held in Colditz Castle for three years. And in this film, he returns there as well, and we see the secret radio room, where Burn and others had kept abreast of events by listening to the BBC.

Fortunately for us, Micky saved everything, including letters from people like Bertrand Russell and Merle Oberon, and old photos, including one of him with friends outside the Nazi Party Headquarters in Berlin in 1935. He and his friend James are shown going through his possessions, organizing them. Micky Burn is well aware that he is nearing the end of his life, and at one moment points to a record, saying he wants it played at his funeral. He has many fascinating stories, like sending cigarettes to a woman who traded them for penicillin for her daughter. That woman was Ella Von Heemstra, and her daughter was Audrey Hepburn. He finds letters written to him by Ella Van Heemstra, and says of her: “She was a great friend. You don’t have to say we were lovers, do you? It’s always assumed.”

Micky is truly endearing, as when he’s outside and says, “I bet I look old and tired and peevish.” And he speaks fairly opening about his homosexual experiences, including his affair with Guy Burgess. He speaks just as candidly about meeting Adolf Hitler. And I love the story of the stolen bullets on his way to Colditz. There is not really a strong narrative line in this documentary, but that kind of doesn’t matter, because you come to really like this guy, and it’s enjoyable to relive portions of his life with him. The title of the film, by the way, comes from Burn’s autobiography.

Special Features

The DVD contains nearly a half hour of bonus footage, including more footage at Saint Nazaire, plus footage of Micky reading some of his poetry, and a tour of his home.

Turned Towards The Sun was directed by Greg Olliver, and was released on DVD on December 15, 2015 through MVD Visual.