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David Lean

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David Lean

Directing

πŸŽ‚ March 25, 1908πŸ“ Croydon, Surrey, England, UKπŸ•―οΈ April 16, 1991 Β· Age 83

Biography

Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, he is best remembered for adapting the works of Charles Dickens and NoΓ«l Coward, and for his large scale period epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970), and A Passage to India (1984). Acclaimed and praised by directors such as Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Lean was voted 9th greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute Sight & Sound "Directors Top Directors" poll 2002. Nominated seven times for th…

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Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, he is best remembered for adapting the works of Charles Dickens and NoΓ«l Coward, and for his large scale period epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970), and A Passage to India (1984). Acclaimed and praised by directors such as Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Lean was voted 9th greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute Sight & Sound "Directors Top Directors" poll 2002. Nominated seven times for the Academy Award for Best Director, winning twice for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, he has seven films in the British Film Institute's Top 100 British Films (with three of them being in the top five).

Biography expanded

BODY OF WORK

David Lean's Filmography

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Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean
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Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean

2026

as Self (archive footage)

Omar Sharif: Citizen of the World
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Omar Sharif: Citizen of the World

2020⭐ 6.8

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

E. M. Forster: His Longest Journey
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E. M. Forster: His Longest Journey

2019⭐ 7.0

as Self (archive footage)

Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
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Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast

2019⭐ 5.3

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

Nostromo: David Lean's Impossible Dream
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Nostromo: David Lean's Impossible Dream

2017⭐ 6.4

as Self (archive footage)

Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration
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Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration

2010

as Self (Archive Footage)

The Making of Lawrence of Arabia
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The Making of Lawrence of Arabia

2001⭐ 8.5

as Self (archive footage)

🎬

No Poster

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The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio

1985⭐ 8.0

as Self

David Lean: A Life in Film
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David Lean: A Life in Film

1985⭐ 6.0

as Self

Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor
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Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor

1979⭐ 7.0

as himself

David Lean: A Self Portrait
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David Lean: A Self Portrait

1971

as Self

🎬

No Poster

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Ryan's Daughter Featurette

1971

as Self

Pasternak
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Pasternak

1965⭐ 6.7

as Self (archive footage)

Moscow in Madrid
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Moscow in Madrid

1965⭐ 7.0

as Self

Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean
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Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean

1965⭐ 8.5

as Self

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No Poster

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David Lean's Film of Doctor Zhivago

1965⭐ 9.0

as Self

Wind, Sand and Star
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Wind, Sand and Star

1963
Lawrence of Arabia
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Lawrence of Arabia

1962⭐ 8.0

as Motorcyclist by Suez Canal (uncredited)

The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant
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The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant

1958

as Self

...On Seeing Film
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...On Seeing Film

1958

as Self

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