The Battle of the Somme (1916)

Today we have a real historical treat for you: "The Battle of the Somme" dates back to 1916 and is a documentary as well as a propaganda film. The two cinematographers Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell filmed it on the official commission of the British Army. The film shows scenes from the lead-up to and the first days of the Battle of the Somme (1 July to 18 November 1916) in France during World War I. The film premiered on 10 August 1916 in London, with great success: 20 million Britons saw it in the first six weeks. A second film, which also shows the first use of tanks, was released in 1917. "The Battle of the Somme" then resided in the Imperial War Museum and is now listed in the "UNESCO's Memory of the World Register." In 2005, this early example of a propaganda film was digitally remastered and made accessible to the public again.