A new two-part biopic, 'La Bataille de Gaulle', has become a surprise summer hit in French cinemas, attracting an audience of 5 million people since its release in June. The film, based on a biography by British author Julian Jackson, is set to be released in UK cinemas on 28 August and 19 September.
The films, each nearly three hours long and costing up to £80m to make, are adapted from Jackson's 2018 biography, 'A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle'. The first part, 'L’Âge de fer' (Iron Age), covers De Gaulle's journey to London in June 1940 and the founding of the Free French forces. The second, 'J’écris ton nom' (I Write Your Name), covers the remainder of the war until France's liberation in 1944.
Directed by Antonin Baudry, the cast includes Simon Abkarian as General de Gaulle and British actor Simon Russell Beale as Winston Churchill. French historian Alya Aglan suggested that the film's enthusiasm among young people stems from their discovery of De Gaulle's story and its resonance with themes of resistance.