Joyeux Noël

"We were talking about a cease fire, for Christmas Eve. What do you think? The outcome of this war wont be decided tonight. I don't think anyone would criticize us for laying down our riffles on Christmas Eve."

"Ponchel: [watching Horstmayer and Gordon shake hands] A summit meeting, and we're not even invited."

"Father Palmer: Tonight, these men were drawn to that altar like it was a fire in the middle of winter. Even those who aren't devout came to warm themselves."

"Lt. Horstmayer: [to Lt. Audebert and his troops] Our artillery will shell you in 10 minutes, so I suggest you come shelter in my trench."

"Without an enemy there can be no war."

"Christmas Eve, 1914. On a World War I battlefield, a Momentous Event changed the lives of soldiers from France, Germany and England."

"The main point is I wanted the audiences to sympathize equally with the Germans, the French and the Scots. There is no camp. Good guys, bad guys–no, not at all. Only the soldiers on the frontline as well as the people outside of that. The headquarters for each, they don’t understand what happens on the frontline. But the people on the frontline can understand each other because they are living the same life and suffering the same way. That’s why is understandable they would make a Christmas truce. So I wanted the audiences to love them all the same way but to write this wasn’t as evident to me. I had to forget that I am French. I didn’t want to be more or less sympathetic to the French people because I’m French. It was a very subtle balance and I hope I succeeded."

"Benno Fürmann — Private Nikolaus Sprink"

"Guillaume Canet — Lieutenant Camille René Audeber"

"Diane Kruger — Anna Sørensen"

"Gary Lewis — Father Palmer"

"Alex Ferns — Lieutenant Gordon"

"Dany Boon — Private Ponchel"

"Daniel Brühl — Leutnant (Lieutenant) Horstmayer (German 93rd Infantry Regiment)"

"Christian Carion — British Medical Orderly"

"Christopher Fulford — Royal Scots Fusiliers Major"

"Mathias Herrmann — German Officer at Headquarters"

"Neil McNulty — Scottish Soldier"

"Lucas Belvaux — Gueusselin"

"Steven Robertson — Jonathan"

"Suzanne Flon — The Chatelaine"

"Bernard Le Coq — Général"

"Ian Richardson — the Bishop"