Chippenham Film Festival June feature

On 2 September 1942, Eric Ravilious joined the crew of a military plane that was embarking on a search party for a missing aircraft off the coast of Iceland. Four days after that plane also failed to return, the RAF declared the crew lost in action.

Eric Ravilious is as compelling and enigmatic as his art. Set against the dramatic wartime locations that inspire him, Margy Kinmonth’s film brings to life this brilliant but still grossly undervalued British artist. Caught in the crossfire of war 80 years ago, Ravilious’s legacy largely sank without trace, until now. Made with the blessing of the Ravilious Estate, this first full length feature documentary about Ravilious unfolds in his own words, through previously unseen private correspondence and rare archive film.

The film features the voices of Freddie Fox, Tamsin Greig, Jeremy Irons & Harriet Walter and asks what his life and art tells us about the elusive concept of Englishness, and what it means to be a war artist.