Production History (Dunkirk) Dunkirk
Nolan conceived the film after sailing across the English Channel in the mid-1990s
Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas crossed the Channel together before they were married, and the experience of the difficult crossing planted the seed. The project gestated for two decades before Nolan wrote the screenplay in 2015 — a 76-page script, unusually short for his work, reflecting the film's commitment to visual storytelling over dialogue.
"The process of writing the script was very much one of reading, re-reading and absorbing a lot of the history." — Christopher Nolan, Little White Lies (2017)
Nolan considered improvising the film without a traditional screenplay; Thomas persuaded him otherwise. Historical consultant Joshua Levine accompanied Nolan during interviews with Dunkirk veterans, and Nolan incorporated specific details — including reports of soldiers walking into the sea in desperation. (wikipedia)
The mole was rebuilt from original blueprints at a cost of $900,000
Pre-production began in January 2016. The production built a replica of the mole — the long stone breakwater that served as the main embarkation point during the real evacuation — from original blueprints, at a cost of $900,000. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland created uniforms from scratch using original heavy wool fabric that had not been manufactured since 1940, with the uniforms made in Pakistan and boots in Mexico. The costumes spent three weeks being aged at Longcross Studios. Sand from the actual Dunkirk beach was used for makeup consistency. (wikipedia)
Principal photography ran 68 days across four countries
Filming commenced May 23, 2016, on the actual Dunkirk beach — timed to coincide with the dates of the real evacuation and to avoid Bastille Day celebrations. The shoot moved through Malo-les-Bains (street scenes), Urk in the Netherlands (four weeks on Lake IJsselmeer for the sea sequences), Swanage and Weymouth in Dorset (one week), and Rancho Palos Verdes in California (two weeks for cockpit interiors). Photography wrapped September 2, 2016. (wikipedia)
Filming schedules were determined by tidal patterns. French labor strikes affected the schedule. The production used 6,000 extras in France, supplemented by cardboard cutout soldiers visible in wide shots. (wikipedia)
Seventy-five percent of the film was shot on IMAX 65mm
Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and Nolan shot approximately 75% of the film on IMAX 65mm — more than any previous Nolan film — with the remainder on 65mm large-format stock in Panavision System 65. All footage was captured in natural lighting.
"We tried to handhold as much as possible for the film — really to be in there, reacting. We wanted to make it as responsive as a GoPro." — Hoyte van Hoytema, The Hollywood Reporter (2017)
"Close-ups work like a landscape, too — there's so much detail. In my opinion, it lends itself to intimacy." — Hoyte van Hoytema, The Hollywood Reporter (2017)
This was the first feature film to use IMAX cameras hand-held — a technique suggested by Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, who advised it as the best way to shoot on vessels. IMAX packages weighing over 80 pounds were carried through sand, tide pools, and surf. (wikipedia, nofilmschool)
The aerial sequences required custom camera rigs mounted on real aircraft
The dogfight sequences were shot using real aircraft — Supermarine Spitfires (Mark IA and VB), a Yakovlev Yak-52TW modified to resemble a Spitfire, and Hispano Buchons painted as Messerschmitt Bf 109Es. IMAX cameras were attached to the planes using specially made snorkel and periscope lenses, front and rear.
"We'd get so close and witness dogfights in the open air. It was a boy's dream come true." — Hoyte van Hoytema, The Hollywood Reporter (2017)
A custom-built twin-engine Aerostar aircraft, matched to Spitfire speed, carried two IMAX rigs — one nose-mounted, one tail-mounted — for the pursuit sequences. Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden filmed their cockpit scenes in purpose-built gimbals mounted on a California cliffside, with limited crew contact. For one crash sequence, the production mounted an IMAX camera on a plane and crashed it into the English Channel, then sent divers to retrieve the camera. (wikipedia, nofilmschool)
Nolan committed to practical effects over CGI
The production used minimal computer-generated imagery. Twenty actual Little Ships of Dunkirk — surviving civilian vessels from the 1940 evacuation — were piloted by their owners for the flotilla sequences. The motor yacht Moonstone was used for six weeks. Air cannons replaced pyrotechnics to protect marine life. Radio-controlled model aircraft were filmed crashing into the Channel. Scale-model aircraft were 3D printed.
"There's really nothing in the film that isn't in some way based in some kind of practical reality that we put in front of the camera." — Christopher Nolan, No Film School (2017)
The demanding sea sequences — including scenes with 60 people on the Moonstone, a boat designed for fewer than 10 — were shot on the Dutch lake IJsselmeer for safety. Farrier's beach landing required a 45-minute window before the tide returned. (wikipedia)
The sound design was built from scratch using period equipment
Sound designer Richard King recorded actual Rolls-Royce Merlin engines from Spitfires at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, using 24 microphones. The Stuka dive-bomber siren was reverse-engineered from photographs. C-4 explosive and liquid propane were detonated for explosion sounds. Bomb sound pitch increased as impact approached. Only production-recorded dialogue was used; all other audio was recreated. (wikipedia)
Lee Smith cut 54 hours of raw footage into 10-15 feature-length versions
Editor Lee Smith, Nolan's regular collaborator, began assembly in September 2016. He had been assembling footage unsupervised while shooting was still underway. The 54 hours of raw material were cut through at least 10 to 15 feature-length versions to refine the dramatic impact. Music was applied only after the final cut was completed. Double Negative handled visual effects; FotoKem managed release prints. (wikipedia)