Testament of Youth, a film based on Vera Brittain’s best-selling World War One memoir, has premiered in London ahead of its UK opening on 16 January.
Vera Brittain (1914, English) cut short her studies to serve as a VAD nurse in World War One before returning to Somerville to complete her studies.
The film, which is directed by James Kent and produced by Rosie Alison and David Heyman, has received positive reviews in The Telegraph and on leading review site Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its public release.
On 6 January the lead photo story on the front page of The Guardian showed Alicia Vikander, who plays Vera Brittain in the film, flanked by two Chelsea pensioners.
Vera Brittain received special focus at Somerville in November, when her daughter, Baroness Williams of Crosby, spoke about her mother at a World War One commemoration weekend held at Somerville.
As part of the commemorations, the College also hosted a ‘Great War Roadshow’ which was featured in local press.