In cinemas for one night only on the 4th of July across the UK & Ireland, The Cold Blue is a new feature-length film, digitally restored, and created for the immersive experience of the big screen. Constructed from the material of 34 reels of raw, colour, footage shot during bombing missions in Germany, originally shot for the 1944 documentary The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress by William Wyler, incredibly all this footage was recently discovered, deep in the vaults of the National Archives by Director/Producer Erik Nelson.
In 1943, Wyler, known for cinematic masterpieces such as “Ben-Hur” (1959) documented the Air War in progress during WWII via captured footage of bombing missions over Europe whilst flying actual combat missions with B17’s. Wyler flew with the young service men from the US 8th Air Force, who were flying complicated and hazardous missions on a daily basis.
Not about just stating facts of what occurred, The Cold Blue puts the audience into the cockpit where on 10 hour round trips they suffered air temperatures comparable to a trip up Mount Everest. The film, narrated by nine of the few surviving B-17 pilot veterans from the missions, resurrects not only the footage but resurrects the stories of these servicemen as a legacy for future generations and dedicates itself to the heroic actions of the men who faced almost certain death on a daily basis. Paired with an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of, The Cold Blue includes a compelling and evocative look at WW2 via a range of unique perspectives, how the UK viewed the support of the allied troops, interviews with the 8th Airforce veterans and with director Eric Nelson & Wyler’s daughter Catherine, telling the remarkable story behind the “found footage” and how The Cold Blue was created.
For tickets or to find your closest participating cinemas visit mycineplace.com/TheColdBlue