| Occupied City | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Steve McQueen |
| Based on | Atlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945 byBianca Stigter[1] |
| Produced by |
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| Narrated by | Melanie Hyams[2] (EN), Carice van Houten (NL) |
| Cinematography | Lennert Hillege[2] |
| Edited by | Xander Nijsten[2] |
| Music by | Oliver Coates[2] |
Production |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 266 minutes[7] |
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| Language | English[2] |
| Box office | $151,716[9] |
Occupied City is a 2023 documentary film directed and produced by Steve McQueen and based on the book Atlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945byBianca Stigter.[1][10] It is narrated by Melanie Hyams. The film is a co-production between the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States.[8] It had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2023 as a special screening,[6] where it competed for the L'Œil d'or.[11] It was released by A24 in the United States on 25 December 2023 and in the United Kingdom/Ireland on 9 February 2024.
In January 2022, it was confirmed that Steve McQueen would direct and produce the film about Amsterdam under Nazi occupation during World War II, with A24 and New Regency handling the domestic and international and both co-financing. Film4 also provided co-financing and retains United Kingdom linear television rights.[12]
McQueen said that there is a 36-hour version of the documentary and that he shot everything that is covered in the book Atlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945byBianca Stigter.[13]
The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as a special screening on 17 May 2023.[14][6] It also screened at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2023.[15][16]
A24 will release the film in North America and New Regency will release it internationally,[17] while September Film will release it in the Netherlands.[4] The film was released in the United States on 25 December 2023 [18]and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 9 February 2024 through Modern Films, with a nationwide live Q&A from The Barbican Centre in London.
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 65% based on 37 reviews with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Occupied City is an impressively ambitious attempt to connect the past with the present, although its repetitive approach and overwhelming length will be too much for many viewers."[19] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20]
Reviewing the film following its Cannes premiere, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it a "monumental film" that "allows its emotional implication to amass over its running time."[21]
| Year | Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| 2023 | Cannes Film Festival | L'Œil d'or | Steve McQueen | Nominated | [11] |
| 2023 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Documentary | Steve McQueen | Nominated |
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