Peter Jackson They Shall Not Grow Old

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A ‘visual and emotional achievement - a groundbreaking resurrection - that resonates.’ The Times

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‘As an act of popular history, They Shall Not Grow Old is outstanding.’ The Guardian

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‘Enthralling, moving and utterly electrifying.’ Daily Mail 

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This film ‘brings a modern audience closer to those battlefields, and sacrifice, than perhaps any film before it.’ The Daily Telegraph 
 

Peter Jackson, best known for directing The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has created a new film using original footage from Imperial War Museums’ extensive archive, much of it previously unseen, alongside BBC and IWM interviews with servicemen who fought in the conflict. Footage has been colourised, converted to 3D and transformed with modern production techniques to present never before seen detail. They Shall Not Grow Old will be given its World Premiere as the Special Presentation at the BFI London Film Festival on 16 October. The film will be simultaneously screened in 2D and 3D to cinemas, schools and special venues across the UK and later broadcast on BBC One. Attended by the director Peter Jackson, the simulcast will include a special post screening Q&A with Jackson, hosted by film critic Mark Kermode.

The First World War proved to be a landmark in cinema history – the first time that the horrors of war could be caught on camera. Many hours of dramatic footage were filmed on the battlefields, capturing the realities of the conflict in remarkable and unprecedented detail. This footage provided the public at home with astonishing access to the frontline: The Battle of the Somme, a documentary film produced with the cooperation of the War Office, was seen by an estimated 20 million Britons in its first six weeks of release.

Co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW and Imperial War Museums in association with the BBC. Produced by WingNut Films and Executive Produced by House Productions. Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Special thanks to Matthew & Sian Westerman with additional support from The Taylor Family Foundation, The Moondance Foundation, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, British Council, Tim & Sarah Bunting, Jacqueline & Richard Worswick and one anonymous donor. Distributed by Trafalgar Releasing.

Suitable only for 15 years and over.