'The Cold Blue': Inside the film's painstaking restoration of WWII footage

From acclaimed filmmaker Erik Nelson the documentary features recently discovered, remastered footage, shot during WWII combat missions from golden age Director William Wyler (Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday). The footage was shot originally for The Memphis Belle and has now been painstakingly restored, getting rid of all the scratches and dirt, recolouring and finally developing it into 4K and blowing it up for the big screen for the first time.

The film chronicles the heroic struggles of the Eighth Air Force during World War II who flew their B-17 Bombers over Europe, from RAF Bassingbourn and features interviews with nine of these surviving veterans, whose voices narrate the harrowing world that Wyler and his cameramen captured in the summer of 1943. There is also a brand new score and sound effects which have been added to this previously silent footage.

The Cold Blue is released in cinemas around the UK on 4 July. Visit mycineplace.com/thecoldblue for ticket details.