Peter Watkins, Provocateur With a Movie Camera, Dies at 90

Peter Watkins, a British filmmaker known for his provocative, fictionalized docudramas, died on October 30 in Bourganeuf, France, at the age of 90. His wife confirmed his death. Watkins’s work consistently explored themes of distrust in authority and the threat of destruction, influenced by his childhood experiences during the Blitz. He began his career as an amateur filmmaker before joining the BBC in 1962. His 1964 film "Culloden," shot as a contemporary news report using nonprofessional actors, was widely praised, leading the BBC to commission a film about the effects of a nuclear attack. This resulted in "The War Game," a 1965 film that depicted a nuclear strike on England. The BBC deemed it "too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting" and shelved it for 20... download the app to read more