Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War

Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War is the first major feature film about Eric Ravilious (1903-1942), the much loved but hugely underestimated British Official War Artist artist, killed in a plane crash over Iceland in 1942.

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. Shot entirely on location in the UK, Portugal and Ireland, the film features Ai Weiwei, Alan Bennett, Grayson Perry, Robert Macfarlane with Freddie Fox, Tamsin Greig and many more.

Featuring contributions from artists Ai Weiwei and Grayson Perry, writers Alan Bennett and Robert Macfarlane, the film recounts a life as compelling and enigmatic as his art, set against the dramatic wartime locations that inspired him. The story is told in Ravilious’s own words through a wealth of material drawn from a treasure trove of private correspondence and previously unseen archives.

The film features the voices of Freddie Fox, Tamsin Greig, Jeremy Irons and Harriet Walter. The film is produced by Margy Kinmonth for Foxtrot Films. Director Margy Kinmonth, a BAFTA and RTS Award winner and known for such work as Naked Hollywood, Royal Paintbox and Revolution: New Art for a New World, says: “As a filmmaker and artist myself, I am telling the story of an artist whose life was cut short by conflict. Ravilious was a brilliant painter whose art portrays a very British way of life, creating his unique point of view at a time of historic change. The film asks what his life and art tell us about the elusive concept of Englishness, and what it means to be a war artist.”