Blitz' director Steve McQueen on the choices he made to create his homage to wartime London with Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan.

Here, Josh Levine, author of The Secret History of the Blitz and a consultant on the film, talks to TIME about the hardships brought on by the Blitz and the scenes that are based on real people and incidents.

The director illuminates his new World War II epic, focused on a boy’s fight to get back home amid the rubble of war-torn London.

Steve McQueen is no longer attending the opening night screening of his new film “Blitz” at Camerimage Film Festival over comments the festival director made about women cinematographers. He was also set to receive the outstanding director award at the event.

British filmmaker Steve McQueen will no longer attend a screening of his latest feature Blitz at Poland's Camerimage Film Festival following the fallout of a controversial op-ed written by the festival's founder and head Marek Żydowicz.

"Blitz" is the opening night film of the Polish cinematography festival, considered a key Oscar bellwether, and McQueen was to have been the guest of honor.

"Having read Marek Zydowicz's op-ed concerning female cinematographers, I have decided not to attend the opening night presentation of my film Blitz this weekend," McQueen told th

The CEO and founder of the Camerimage Film Festival, Marek Żydowicz, has been called out for penning an op-ed in which he questioned if the recognition and inclusion of women's work in cinematography could dilute the quality of what has historically been submitted.

The 'Blitz' director was supposed to be in attendance for his opening night film, and he was being honored with the outstanding director award.