British Film Institute

A 'fin-de-siecle' personal portrait of London from an English experimental filmmaker, shot over a period of twelve months, which saw the election of John Major as prime minister, renewed IRA bombings, the 'Black Wednesday' European monetary crisis and the 'fall of the house of Windsor'.

A compilation of six three minute short animated films which comment on contemporary values through a reinterpretation of the myths of the old Wild West. Drawn in brush and ink, details as follows: 1) Slim Pickin's - poor ole Josh finds he is the victim of false promises 2) That's Nothin' - a few boys get together in the saloon 3) Murder! - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The silent majority get their way 4) High Noon - Clint and Chuck face...

The film record of Sir Ernest Shackleton's heroic but ill-starred attempt to cross Antarctica in 1914-16, photographed by Frank Hurley. A restored version of the silent original constructed by the National Film and Television Archive from a wide range of materials, including a print and negative deposited by the distributor Sir William Jury, a tinted print from the Nederlands Filmmuseum,and a set of glass slides that originally accompanied the film...

The nightly journey of the Postal Special from London to Glasgow. The flagship of the GPO Film Unit's output and a cornerstone of British documentary. Harry Watt and Basil Wright's study of the down postal express stands as a beacon for John Grierson's original purpose for documentary - to make the working man the hero of the screen. A truly collaborative effort, a coming together of many great names and those immortal lines from W.H. Auden.

Documentary about the abuse of animals in factory farming, sport and research. Made over a period of two years in Britain and the U.S., includes interviews, clandestinely shot footage of stag hunting and pharmaceutical research, and rare material of the military use of animals for training, weapons testing and nuclear research.

Humphrey Jennings and Harry Watt’s famous film, produced at the GPO film unit, is an enduring example of British self-mythology and rousing evidence of the artistic potential of supposed propaganda. A hymn to our capital city’s resilience during the Blitz, structured as a day-in-the-life of stiff-upper-lipped Londoners, its poetic espousal of British fortitude ensured the film was widely exhibited internationally and utilised as a tool to help...

Martin Scorsese’s contribution to the Century of Cinema series is a fascinating exploration of some of the landmarks of American cinema, as well as some of its lesser known byways. Scorsese analyses the work of filmmakers as diverse as DW Griffith, FW Murnau, Sam Fuller and John Cassavetes. This is no academic history, but a declaration of passion for cinema from one of its most celebrated contemporary practitioners. This episode explores the concepts...

Any minority craves images of itself, and this compilation of clips from Britain’s post-war cinema archives is a testament to the closeted appearances of gay characters and sentiments from filmmaking’s earliest days. Following gay characters as they go from being the butt of jokes to full-blown leading characters, Weiss has captured a playful, occasionally melodramatic, insight into on-screen homosexual characterizations. With Ian McKellen as...

Set during the American Civil War, the story of a Southern soldier sent to reconnoitre enemy positions who is trapped beneath a huge fall of masonry when Northern cannons hit the wall near which he was spying from.

The story of Christine Carpenter, a 14 year old girl who has a vision of the Virgin Mary. In order to be close to Her, Christine is enclosed in the wall of the village church, becoming an 'Anchoress' who devotes her life to God. Based on letters found in the British Museum Library - written in the 1320's referring to the 'enclosure' of Christine Carpenter, 'for the fulfilment of a better life'.