EXCLUSIVE: Iconic British director David Lean, whose credit included Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, is being given the characteristic documentary therapy by Sky, with Embankment Films launching gross sales at TIFF.
The Barnaby Thompson-directed Epic – The Life & Times of David Lean will profile the double Oscar winner, who helmed a few of the most well-respected motion pictures of all time, by way of never-before-seen archive and contributions from main movie administrators. Haunted by the shadow of his dismissive father and his puritan upbringing, Lean was married six occasions, and he created layered and sophisticated narratives in his work whereas struggling to seek out connection and which means in his private life. The doc has been made with collaboration from the BFI National Archive, whose Special Collections holds the David Lean paper archive, and with the cooperation of the David Lean Foundation.
Lean, who was knighted in 1984 and died in 1991, was behind the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India. He was nominated for seven Oscars and received for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia.
Epic is slated for a winter 2025 launch on Sky Arts whereas Embankment seeks additional pre-sales, starting at TIFF, which begins tomorrow. It is being produced by Embankment and Fragile Films.
Thompson mentioned: “David Lean was a charismatic, but deeply complex man – a flawed human being but a genius behind the camera. At a moment when the future of the theatrical experience feels threatened, it is the perfect time to look at the life and work of the man that created ‘pure cinema’, the big screen epic, and so many of the greatest movies ever made.”
Embankment’s Nick Taussig added that the time is ideal to sort out a doc on Lean, together with his “extraordinary body of cinematic work but also his own surprising and complex personal life story.”
Earlier this 12 months, we revealed Embankment was making a Greta Garbo characteristic doc, once more for Sky, with Fremantle taking worldwide gross sales.