EXCLUSIVE: Cult British director David Lean, whose credits include: Lawrence of Arabia AND Doctor Zhivago, will be adapted into a feature-length documentary by Sky, with Embankment Films launching sales of the film at TIFF.

Directed by Barnaby Thompson Epic – The Life and Times of David Lean will profile the two-time Oscar winner, who directed some of the most revered films of all time, through never-before-seen archive and input from leading film directors. Haunted by the shadow of a dismissive father and a puritanical upbringing, Lean was married six times and created multi-layered and complex narratives in his work, while struggling to find connection and meaning in his personal life. The documentary was produced in partnership with the BFI National Archive, whose Special Collections hold the David Lean paper archive, and with the David Lean Foundation.

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Lean, who was knighted in 1984 and died in 1991, was behind figures such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago AND Passage to IndiaHe was nominated for seven Oscars and won for This Bridge over the River Kwai AND Lawrence of Arabia.

Epic is set to be released in winter 2025 on Sky Arts, while Embankment is seeking further pre-sales, starting at TIFF, which starts tomorrow. It is produced by Embankment and Fragile Films.

Thompson said: “David Lean was a charismatic yet deeply complex man – a flawed human being but a genius behind the camera. At a time when the future of the theatrical experience seems at risk, it is an ideal time to examine the life and work of the man who created ‘pure cinema’, the great screen epic and so many of the greatest films ever made.”

Embankment’s Nick Taussig added that it was the perfect time to tackle a documentary about Lean, given his “extraordinary filmmaking body of work as well as his own surprising and complex personal story.”

Earlier this year we announced that Embankment was developing a feature-length documentary about Greta Garbo, also for Sky, with Fremantle handling international sales.

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