To commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, the First World War Centenary Partnership, led by Imperial War Museums (IWM), will be screening the 1916 documentary film The Battle of the Somme across the globe throughout the year. The Somme lasted for 141 days, and more than one million men from both sides were killed, wounded or captured. The Battle of the Somme film was released on August 21 1916 and recorded the early stages of the battle.
It is one of the most successful films in British cinema history and was seen by nearly half the population at the time of release.
In 2016 screenings will take place in more than 300 locations across the UK and abroad. Major screenings are planned at venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, the National Archives, and Dover Castle in the UK, with screenings abroad planned in France, New Zealand, Canada and Germany. IWM commissioned Laura Rossi to write a score to accompany the film for the 90th anniversary of the Somme in 2006. Somme100 FILM is an international project to mark the centenary of the Somme with 100 live performances of the score with both amateur and professional orchestras between July 2016 and July 2017.
