The Great Escaper

Starring the inimitable Sir Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson, we follow the remarkable true story of a war veteran who makes a dash across the channel for the D-Day celebrations.

The summer of 2014 marked the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings - octogenarian Bernie Jordan (Caine) made global headlines as he staged a "great escape" from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world. Bernie seemed to embody the defiant "can-do" spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. Bernie’s Big Adventure only spanned a mere 48 hours, but it also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Rene (played by Glenda Jackson, who passed shortly after production concluded) – the story celebrates their love with a touching sincerity.

A bitter-sweet script deployed with emotional gravitas by the impactable performances from Caine and Jackson, this classical narrative explores the horrors of war and reality of aging with wit and a very big heart.