Roger Deakins in the context of "Fargo (1996 film)"

1917 is a 2019 British war film directed and produced by Sam Mendes, who co-wrote it with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. It is partially inspired by stories told to Mendes by his paternal grandfather Alfred about his service during World War I. The film takes place after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich, and follows two British soldiers in their mission to deliver an important message to call off a doomed offensive attack. The two main roles are played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman. Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Adrian Scarborough, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star in supporting roles.

The project was announced in June 2018, with MacKay and Chapman signing on in October and the rest of the cast joining the following March. Filming took place from April to June 2019 in the UK, with cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith using long takes to have the entire film appear as two continuous shots.

Benjamin Davis (born 6 September 1961) is a British cinematographer. His major works include Kick-Ass (2010), Hannibal Rising (2007) and the Marvel Studios films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Captain Marvel (2019), and Eternals (2021). He has collaborated with Matthew Vaughn on four films and Martin McDonagh on three films, including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

Davis started his career at Samuelsons Camera House, now a part of the motion picture equipment company Panavision. He worked as clapper loader, focus puller, and camera operator in both feature films and commercials. During this period, he worked with Billy Williams, Douglas Slocombe and Roger Deakins. He began his career as a cinematographer shooting spots. His first major feature film as a cinematographer was the 2002 British film Miranda.