It can clearly be challenging to convey the magnitude of loss after a tragedy, particularly when that number is in the tens of millions, yet that is precisely what The Fallen of World War II, a documentary (also available as an interactive graphic) that examines the human cost of second World War, sets out to do. Written, directed, and narrated by Neil Halloran, the elegantly animated data visualization lays out the human losses of the war, and it’s devastating.
The 15-minute video is divided into three sections: the first examines military deaths, while the second deals with those of civilians, including victims of the Holocaust. The third offers an illuminating, and ultimately uplifting, comparison between WWII and other world conflicts. One particularly striking moment: when Halloran depicts Soviet fatalities as a seemingly endless parade of tiny red soldiers.
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