The global premiere of a film telling stories from the First World War was held at Bovington Tank Museum.
Hundreds of visitors to the museum turned up to see the screening.
‘The War To End All Wars – The Movie’ was created by Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton as part of their ‘History Rocks’ charity project.
READ: Bovington Tank Museum to show new First World War film
Visiting Dorset’s own Tank Museum on Monday, bass player Pär Sundström hosted a question-and-answer session after the screening, before signing autographs for 100 fans, and taking a tour of the museum.
He said: “I’ve been to quite a few museums in the past few weeks and this was definitely one of the highlights.
"I met so many nice fans with a lot of interesting questions, and the museum itself is very impressive and inspirational, and is giving me many ideas for the future."
The full-length animated film was provided on a free licence to participating museums, allowing them to set their own entrance terms and retain any revenue generated.
This was a way of providing help and support to maintain their ability to continue to preserve history, something the band feel very strongly about.
It was developed to help museums across the world to boost their visibility and introduce them to an untapped audience of Sabaton fans and history buffs.
Nik Wyness, head of marketing and engagement at the museum, said: “It has been a privilege to partner with Sabaton and be part of the global History Rocks project.
"Overall, we had over 300 visitors come and see the movie at The Tank Museum, and nearly 100 Sabaton fans queued up for a meet and greet with Pär.
“By attracting fans to the museum, we were able to raise additional money to help preserve and conserve our unique historic collection – as well as opening up the history of tanks to a new audience.”
READ: Tankfest 2023 at The Tank Museum is a big success
Attendees ranged in age, from school age children to those turning up with their own adult children.
Ian, 53, a history lover from Dorchester, thought the movie was ‘brilliant’ and hade been made aware of the band through his daughter, who is a big fan of the Swedish rock group.
He said: “I’m into Sabaton by default, my daughter is the real fan. The movie is absolutely brilliant, I was completely absorbed in it, I actually forgot it was animated, you just felt it. Living close to the Tank Museum I came here a lot when I was younger, I’m fascinated by military history. To see it brought to life in this way with the music is brilliant. I am a history fan foremost and a metal fan by default."
Over 130 museums are involved worldwide across 29 countries.
To learn more about the Tank Museum visit https://tankmuseum.org/
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