Chasing Churchill: In Search of My Grandfather

Pictured: Churchill and Sandys. 

In Chasing Churchill, Winston Churchill’s granddaughter Celia Sandys retraces his footsteps. From England to Egypt, from Hollywood to Havana, from Virginia to France and South Africa, Chasing Churchill: In Search of My Grandfather follows Celia Sandys around the world as she retraces her grandfather Winston Churchill’s footsteps to reveal the man behind the famous façade. Featuring newly discovered archival footage, photographs and private letters, diaries and paintings from the Churchill archives, Chasing Churchill airs Friday, August 10, 2012 at 7 p.m. on WXXI World (cable 524/DT21.2).

Wanted Dead or Alive

Celia Sandys begins her pursuit of Churchill’s enigmatic private life at Sandhurst Military Academy, which he left in 1894 to begin a journey in search of adventure and danger, and to gain the adulation he craved.

The Other Country

Churchill fell in love with the United States of America, the land of his mother’s birth, during his first visit in 1894. It was an unlikely match, but it endured, culminating in the special relationship he shared with President Roosevelt, which was the bedrock of Allied victory during the Second World War.

Worth Doing Once

In this, the third chapter of Churchill’s life, Sandys travels to Morocco and to the South of France in search of those places that gave Churchill particular pleasure. He called Morocco “the most beautiful place on earth.” Here, even during the turmoil of the Second World War, he found time to travel with Roosevelt and indulge in his favorite relaxation — painting.

Through the unique insight of his beloved granddaughter, viewers will come to know Churchill more intimately.