Kalistani Major History

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New Movie about the Plateau Wars to be made in Kalistan
"Gloria" tells the tale of the Defense of Athosia in 1876
Sulari, Duchy of Ananto
February 2, 5530


"Gloria" staring Vernon Sutherland (right) describes desperate campaign to defend Athoisa

A film which seems to match the current mood of the Empire is being produced in Suldanor for Republican Studios. The film, titled "Gloria" tells the tale of a little discussed historical event in Kalistani History: an event that Kalistan is more known for losing than for anything else. "'Gloria' talks about this great historical battle in what is now Eastern Baltusia, in a region that was formerly known as Athosia, but is now the regions of Santiago and Ralston," said Director Yvette Buenasuerte for Republican Studios. "We don't talk about this war much in Kalistani Schools, because this war, and the other two Plateau Wars, were times when the Anantan Empire, which Kalistan was part of, was on the decline then. While our country eventually lost those wars, there were some moments during those conflicts where Kalistani troops, facing almost insurmountable odds, fought bitterly and courageously to defend our homeland from foreign invasions, and there were times when we won."

"Gloria" is specifically about the Battle of Gloria, an ancient city near modern day Hallsboro in eastern Ralston, Baltusia that was razed after the Third Plateau War to punish Kalistani residents of the town. During a 9-day battle, Kalistani troops, exhausted, low on food and ammo, and with catastrophically mounting casualties, conducted a series of defensive maneuvers that are considered archetypical of modern Kalistani battlefield tactics. "The regular forces more or less turned into guerrillas," said Buenasuerte, "and Gloria turned into a meat grinder. The inability of the Allied force to dislodge the Kalistanis from the city was a tremendously demoralizing failure on the part of the invading forces, and essentially broke the advancing forces' will to continue to fight. It really was one of the last stands for the Anantan Empire, and more a swan song than a tide turning victory." The battle ensured that Kalistan would keep Athosia for another year, until Kalistan was ultimately forced to sue for peace after Kalistan's war effort was undermined by Selucian backed Independence in Gaduridos.

"We cast Vernon Sutherland to play the far sighted Captain Arthur Reynolds," said Buenasuerte. "He brings a lot of gravitas to the role. Those who know the story will know how, while he dies relatively early in the 9 days of fighting, was instrumental in including irregular tactics in his company's training program from day 1, so that when they realized that they were outnumbered and outgunned by the Allies at Gloria, they were able to shift tactics, take to the hills, and fatally cripple the advancing Corps under Valruzian, Luthori and Baltusian command, creating a rout. It was Reynolds who was posthumously credited with the defense, and many of the tactics he and his troops perfected are still employed today, especially the tactics that focus on demoralization, seemingly random killings, ambush, and refusing to offer direct combat, while destroying infrastructure behind enemy lines."

The movie is expected to do well. "I think a lot of themes we present in the movie are still current," said Buenasuerte. "Themes like being proud of who you are, defense of what is your own, unyielding desire to defend what is good in the world from forces that seek to destroy, to take, and to spoil. This was really the end of the Anantonese Empire and the 3rd Dynasty: Those of us in the future know how these wars ultimately led to Kalistan being illegitimately and brutally stripped of more than two-thirds of its land by foreign powers, and how it led to more than a century of internal turmoil, civil war and military dictatorship for Kalistan. The film admittedly plays to Kalistan pride and interest in the Past, and in the history of Kalistan's Empire, and may serve as a touchstone in the movement for justice for what was stolen from Kalistan. I hope my film plays a part in that effort."

While the film is expected to open in Kalistan by October of this year, it is unknown whether it will play internationally. "I am sure someone in a different country will want to watch it, even if they don't know the history attached to it," said Buenasuerte. "After all, we do have an excellent script and more than 50 million Rubles to make this movie. It will be a great action movie, even if the audiences do not get the symbolism and history of the whole thing. But, I can also imagine some countries may have a problem with the subject matter. After all, the Baltusians are painted in a pretty bad light in this movie: that is on purpose, of course. Because though Baltusia had been an important part of Kalistan for centuries before this time, we wanted to make sure that this wasn't presented as a civil war. It was not: Baltusia had, at this time, a king who was a puppet of Valruzia, and was used by both Valruzia and Luthori to strip Kalistan of their territory. And meanwhile, expected Selucian aid never came, because they had switched sides in the conflict secretly, and were working for themselves. At the end, Kalistan was defending its territory alone, against two of the world's greatest empires at the time. So: pointing that out might run afoul of a few countries' self image of their own history. It is what it is."

As noted, Republican Studios' "Gloria" is expected to open in October. It has been announced that the Minor Emperor and Prince Regent have been invited to attend the premier.