The release date has been confirmed for Sam Mendes's new documentary film What They Found, which tells the story of two members of the British Army’s Film and Photographic Unit who accompanied the troops liberating Bergen-Belsen at the end of the Second World War.
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The film, the first documentary to be directed by Mendes, uses archive footage and first-hand testimonies to tell the story, and will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation.
The film will officially air on Monday 7th April at 10pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer - meaning there isn't too long left to wait.
The official synopsis for the documentary says: "On 15th April 1945, British soldier-cameramen Sgt Mike Lewis and Sgt Bill Lawrie, members of the Army Film and Photographic Unit covering the campaign in North West Europe, accompanied British troops to what they were told was a typhus hospital in Northern Germany, named Bergen-Belsen.
"When they arrived there, the full horrors of what was going on inside the camp were revealed to them and, through their footage, to the world - for the first time."
What They Found. BBC/Imperial War Museums
The synopsis continues: "What They Found immerses audiences in Lewis and Lawrie’s footage and words, to create an intimate and deeply personal record of two ordinary men’s experience of the war and, through them, of the trauma and tragedy of the Holocaust."
When the film was first announced, Mendes said in a statement: "Using only the voices and footage shot by two British army cameramen during the latter stages of the Second World War, I hope this documentary gives a unique perspective on the discovery of the horrors of Belsen, and the reality of the Holocaust."
Mendes is known for directing films such as 1917, Skyfall and Spectre, while he also executive produced recent Sky comedy series The Franchise.
He will also soon be directing four interconnected films about each member of The Beatles, with actors including Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan rumoured to star.
What They Found will air on Monday 7th April at 10pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
