Unquiet Graves

2004
Written by Marjorie Van Halteren and produced with Helen Engelhardt.
Unquiet Graves

Unquiet Graves. Photo by Marjorie Van Halteren. (Feb 24, 2026)

Marjorie Van Halteren moved to France in 1992, and now she reflects on the quiet life she sought in Northern France as she becomes more and more disturbed by the media reports from "Over There" and her growing understanding of the ground beneath her own feet. Little by little, she discovers her adopted home, first scratching the surface, then delving into the backstory of a region ravaged by two world wars and filled with the bodies of young men and many other citizens In fact, all the lives of those now living are touched by the unquiet graves. This is a quiet place where war is part of the fabric of daily life. This sonically-rich half-hour essay includes: a battlefield tour, memorials, dreams of the dead and voices of the living—a view of our world as seen from over there.