‘Testament of Youth,’ starring Alicia Vikander, filming in Oxford now!

Oxford is used to having film crews around. Whether the city is playing itself, as in Morse and its spinoffs, Lewis and Endeavour, playing somewhere else as in the Harry Potter films, or something halfway between the two, as in The Golden Compass, set in a fantasy version of the city, it’s an extremely popular location for film and TV producers.

Currently, the city is playing host to a particularly special production – the filming of Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain’s powerful and heartbreaking memoir of her life during the First World War. It covers her life from 1900-1925, and allows an astonishing insight into her life. Brittain wrote the memoir as written as an alternative to publishing her diaries, and the honesty and insight of a diary shine through.

A student of English Literature at Somerville College, Oxford, when war broke out, Brittain postponed her studies to become a VAD nurse, while her male friends, her brother, and her fiancé all went off to fight. With the anniversary of WWI fast approaching, Brittain’s story brings the human tragedy of war stunningly to life.

The forthcoming film stars Alicia Vikander as Brittain herself, and Kit Harington, known from his role as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, as her fiancé Roland Leighton. We can’t wait to see this incredible true story brought to life.

If you’re feeling inspired to explore the city where Vera Brittain lived and loved, browse our courses now ➙

If you want to learn how to make films yourself, we also have Film Academy courses for students aged 13-15 and 16-18 ➙