<P> Dunkirk is a 2017 war film written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan that depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II . Its ensemble cast includes Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn - Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy . The film is a British, American, French, and Dutch co-production, and was distributed by Warner Bros . </P> <P> Dunkirk portrays the evacuation from three perspectives: land, sea, and air . It has little dialogue, as Nolan sought instead to create suspense from cinematography and music . Filming began in May 2016 in Dunkirk and ended that September in Los Angeles, when post-production began . Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shot the film on IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large - format film stock . Dunkirk has extensive practical effects, and employed thousands of extras as well as historic boats from the evacuation, and period aeroplanes . </P> <P> The film premiered on 13 July 2017 at Odeon Leicester Square in London, and was released in the United Kingdom and the United States on 21 July in IMAX, 70 mm, and 35 mm film formats . It is the highest - grossing World War II film of all time, taking $525 million worldwide . Dunkirk received praise for its screenplay, direction, musical score, and cinematography; some critics called it Nolan's best work, and one of the greatest war films . </P> <P> It received eight nominated categories at the 23rd Critics' Choice Awards; winning one for Best Editing, eight nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards, three at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, and eight at the 90th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan; his first ever Oscar nomination for directing . </P>

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