Occupied City

Occupied City is a 2023 documentary film directed and produced by Steve McQueen and based on the book Atlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945 by Bianca Stigter.[1][8] It is narrated by Melanie Hyams. The film is a co-production between the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States.[7] 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.[9] It will be released by A24 in the United States on 25 December 2023.

Occupied City
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteve McQueen
Based onAtlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945
by Bianca Stigter[1]
Produced by
  • Steve McQueen[2]
  • Bianca Stigter[2]
  • Anna Smith-Tenser[2]
  • Floor Onrust[2]
Narrated byMelanie Hyams[2]
CinematographyLennert Hillege[2]
Edited byXander Nijsten[2]
Music byOliver Coates[2]
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 17 May 2023 (2023-05-17) (Cannes)[6]
  • 25 December 2023 (2023-12-25) (United States)
Running time
262 minutes[1]
Countries
LanguageEnglish[2]

Production

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.[10]

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 1940-1945 by Bianca Stigter.[11]

Release

The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as a special screening on 17 May 2023.[12][6] It also screened at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2023.[13][14]

A24 will release the film in North America and New Regency will release it in international,[15] while September Film will release it in the Netherlands.[4] The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on 25 December 2023.[16]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 61% based on 23 reviews with an average rating of 6.30/10.[17] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]

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."[19]

Accolades
Year Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2023 Cannes Film Festival L'Œil d'or Steve McQueen Nominated [9]

References
  1. "OCCUPIED CITY". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  2. Gleiberman, Owen (17 May 2023). "'Occupied City' Review: Steve McQueen's Holocaust Documentary Is a Trial to Sit Through: Four Hours Long But Only an Inch Deep". Variety.
  3. "Occupied City". Cineuropa. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  4. "Zes films van September Film geselecteerd voor Cannes Film Festival 2023" [Six films by September Film selected for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival]. Fonk Magazine (in Dutch). 14 April 2023.
  5. "'Occupied City' review: Steve McQueen's documentary feature debut is an ambitious, if overlong, account of occupied Amsterdam - Cannes". 18 May 2023.
  6. "The Screenings Guide of the 76th Festival de Cannes" (PDF). Cannes Film Festival. 10 May 2023. p. 3.
  7. Halligan, Fionnuala (17 May 2023). "'Occupied City': Cannes Review". Screen Daily.
  8. Stigter, Bianca (2019). Atlas van een bezette stad: Amsterdam 1940-1945. Amsterdam: Atlas Contact. ISBN 9789045029573.
  9. "Les documentaires à Cannes, découvrez la Sélection 2023 de L'Œil d'or". loeildor.scam.fr (in French). 12 May 2023.
  10. Wiseman, Andreas (7 January 2022). "A24 & New Regency Aboard For Steve McQueen WWII Documentary Occupied City". Deadline. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. Coyle, Jake (17 May 2023). "In Steve McQueen's 4-hour Cannes entry 'Occupied City,' Holocaust past meets Amsterdam present". Associated Press.
  12. "Steve McQueen's 'Occupied City' will premiere at Cannes". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  13. Davis, Clayton (30 August 2023). "Telluride Lineup Includes World Premieres of 'Saltburn,' 'The Bikeriders' and 'Rustin' With Tributes for Yorgos Lanthimos and Wim Wenders". Variety. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  14. "Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  15. Ravindran, Manoru (16 May 2023). "Steve McQueen on His 4-Hour Documentary Epic 'Occupied City' and How It's Informing His Apple TV+ Movie 'Blitz'". Variety.
  16. Carey, Matthew (24 October 2023). "Watch Trailer For Steve McQueen's 'Occupied City': Epic Doc On Nazi Campaign Against Amsterdam's Jews, Seen From Present Day". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  17. "Occupied City". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  18. "Occupied City Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  19. Bradshaw, Peter (17 May 2023). "Occupied City review – Steve McQueen's moving meditation on wartime Amsterdam". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2023.

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