80th Anniversary of VE Day: Secret Spitfires Film & Q&A 10th May 2025

Join us at Hope to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe with a special screening of Secret Spitfires and director Q&A, hosted at HOPE.

Join us at HOPE to commemorate the 80th anniversary of V.E. Day with a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Secret Spitfires, followed by a live Q&A with one of the film’s directors, Karl Howman.

Secret Spitfires is the story of young girls, boys, women, and a handful of elderly men who built thousands of Spitfires in secret during WW2. After the destruction of the main factories in Southampton by the Luftwaffe, the manufacturing of Spitfires was moved to shadow factories in small towns and villages.

The film, three years in the making, tells the incredible story of the secret Spitfires through the testimonies of surviving workers and eyewitnesses for the very first time. It also features unique archive footage and images never seen before.

“They built thousands of Spitfires, hidden in garages, bus depots, sheds and barns … but nobody ever knew.”

Special guest: Karl Howman

Hear directly from Karl Howman, one of the documentary’s directors, as he shares his behind-the-scenes experience and answers audience questions after the screening.

Itinerary

1:00 pm – Hope hub opens for snacks, drinks & cake

2:00 pm – Introduction by Karl Howman & screening of Secret Spitfires

Q&A – Directly after the film

4:00 pm – Event closes

Documentary rating: PG

Tickets: Only £5 – all proceeds go to Hope