Arch Flanagan, 91, is a retired school teacher. In 1943, as a sergeant in the Australian Army, he was forced to labour on the infamous Burma Railway upon which it is said, that one man died for every sleeper laid. In the 50 years since, Arch has written four separate pieces reflecting on the experience - two short stories, a memoir and an obituary for his commanding officer, Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop. Martin Flanagan is a poet, writer and journalist and is the fourth of Arch's six children. The Line is a dual drama - one is an elderly man's reflection on the peak experience of his life. The other story is the son's relationship with that experience, the way it has shaped him and the line he takes in his writing life.