Halifax Harbour. December 6, 1917. 8:45 a.m. The French cargo ship Mont-Blanc moves slowly through icy harbor waters. The vessel has a black hull with a red lower section beneath the waterline. Black coal smoke rises from a single smokestack. The ship is heavily loaded with wartime explosives including TNT, picric acid and benzol hidden within its cargo holds. Approaching nearby is the Norwegian steamship Imo, painted white with black smokestacks. Both vessels move through a narrow section of harbor. Dockworkers and sailors watch from nearby piers. Cold winter sunlight reflects across the water. Ultra realistic historical documentary photography, authentic 1917 ship design, realistic harbor environment, cinematic realism.