BFI Screen Guide - British Documentaries
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- DirectorAlexander AtanesyanStarsMaksim SukhanovAndrey PaninSergey NovikovFeliks, professional killer, has only 24 hours to get to the distant island, where his beloved woman and the money for the custom made is waiting for him. Lyova Shalamov and his brother Garik have also 24 hours to find and to kill Feliks.
- DirectorTony ThompsonStarsStephen MurrayA documentary showing aspects of long-disappeared rural life in Northumberland in 1953.
- DirectorJohn ReadStarsReg ButlerClifford EllisPatrick Heron
- StarsEsmée Sullivan
- StarsElizabeth Hepworth
- DirectorGeoffrey MalinsStarsBeauvoir De LisleDocumentary (with some re-enacted footage) of the British army's participation in the Battle of the Somme in France during World War I.
- DirectorFrank CvitanovichStarsGeoffrey Morton
- DirectorHarry WattStarsJ.B. PriestleyBritons rally together to defend the island against the Nazis who were occupying neighbouring countries.
- DirectorMargaret ThomsonStarsBruce Belfrage
- DirectorAlberto CavalcantiStarsW.H. AudenMontagu SlaterDocumentary showing the dangerous working conditions of coal mining across England, Scotland and Wales.
- DirectorDominic SavageStarsAlan BirkinBarry RitchieDavid WalshA look at the lives and opinions of three consumer crusaders who stand up for the rights of dissatisfied customers everywhere.
- DirectorGeorge LoweStarsMeredith EdwardsJohn HuntGeorge BandDocumentary that covers the famous and successful expedition of the Everest conquest by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, the first climbers to reach its peak.
- DirectorFlaco BlagStarsFlaco Blag
- A coal miner says good-bye to his wife and children, and heads off to work. He reaches the mine, prepares his lamp, and then descends into the mine along with some other workers. As he and the others work inside the mine, the coal is sent to the surface, where others at the mining site are ready to process the coal and to prepare it for shipping.
- DirectorRoy BoultingDavid MacDonaldStarsHarold AlexanderWinston ChurchillAdolf HitlerThe Allied campaign to drive Germany and Italy from North Africa is analysed, with the major portion of the film examining the battles at El Alamein, including a re-enactment.
- StarsMichael RedgraveRalph RichardsonEmlyn WilliamsBritain fights its first major battle, the Battle of the Somme.
- DirectorHumphrey JenningsStarsMichael RedgraveMyra HessJohn GielgudThis brief documentary-style film presents the status of Great Britain near the end of the Second World War by means of a visual diary for a baby boy born in September, 1944. Narration explains to "Timothy" what his family, his neighbors, and his fellow citizens are going through as the war nears its end, and what problems may remain for new Englishmen like Timothy to solve.
- DirectorJohn GriersonA silent documentary film by John Grierson telling the story of Britain's North Sea herring fishery.
- DirectorBrian HillExplores the importance of an attitudes towards consumption of alcohol in English society by following five subjects through interviews, recitals of poetry, and song.
- DirectorDerrick Knight
- DirectorLindsay AndersonStarsAlun OwenA day in the working class market at Covent Garden in London, where fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers are sold.
- DirectorPaul RothaStarsA.J. Cummings
- StarsTerry WilkinsKaren WilkinsTom Bernes"The Family" (1974) is one of the first "reality" shows in the history of television. Modelled after the US TV series "An American Family (1972), this 12-part series documents the daily life of a working-class family from Reading, UK.
- DirectorDonald AlexanderStarsBeatrix LehmannChildcare for working women during the Second World War.
- DirectorAndrew KottingStarsAndrew KottingEden KottingBenji MingWhen British filmmaker Andrew Kotting decided to tour the perimeter of Great Britain with his grandmother Gladys and his daughter Eden, he brought a film crew along. The result is this often humorous and picturesque documentary.
- DirectorAnthony Short
- DirectorJohn AkomfrahStarsPervaiz KhanMeera SyalYvonne WeekesDocumentary examining the 1985 riots in London and Birmingham's Handsworth district that erupted in reaction to the repressive policing of black communities.
- DirectorH.W. Bush
- DirectorMolly DineenStarsDerek PerkinsRay StockerThis film documents one day in the life of Angel station on the Northern Line of the London Underground in the days before its refurbishment. We see the ticket collectors, station manager and other staff as they cope with angry passengers, lift failures and cancelled trains.
- DirectorEdgar AnsteyArthur EltonStarsMr. NorwoodMrs. HillMrs. GravesSlum conditions, slum clearance, bright new public housing.
- DirectorJohn KrishStarsBessie LoveJohn Cartner RonsonVictor SpinettiA day in the life of John, an elderly, widowed, childless, world war veteran living all alone.
- DirectorEva WeberYou use to have to make an effort to overhear other people's intimate conversations. Now you have to make an effort not to. The Intimacy of Strangers is a story of life, love, loss and hope - entirely constructed out of real, overheard mobile phone conversations
- DirectorPhilip Donnellan
- DirectorMichael DarlowStarsJune Carter CashJohnny CashMarshall GrantA capture of Johnny Cash's famous concert at San Quentin prison, performed on 24 February 1969.
- DirectorJohn WillisA two part investigation of the dangers facing teenagers, who leave home for the bright lights of London. The End of the Line followed the case histories of Tommy, a 12 year-old Scottish boy, and Annie, a 16 year-old girl hardened to her homelessness. The Murder of Billy Two-Tone forensically uncovers the facts behind the killing of Billy McPhee, discovering disturbing facts on Roger Gleaves, a child sexual abuser and homeless children hostels owner. His housing empire turns out to be based on sexual exploitation and financial corruption.
- DirectorPaul RothaStarsFrederick AllenElizabeth CowellHenry HallattDescribed as a 'film argument' about homes and houses, this film is in three parts showing houses as they were, houses as they are and houses as they might be.
- DirectorMichael Lindsay-HoggStarsJohn LennonPaul McCartneyGeorge HarrisonThe filmed account of The Beatles' attempt to recapture their old group spirit by making a back to basics album, which instead drove them further apart.
- DirectorHumphrey JenningsStewart McAllisterStarsLeonard BrockingtonJoseph MacleodBud FlanaganA depiction of life in wartime England during the Second World War. Director Humphrey Jennings visits many aspects of civilian life and of the turmoil and privation caused by the war, all without narration.
- DirectorMichael GrigsbyStarsSaul Reichlin
- DirectorPatrick KeillerStarsPaul ScofieldJohn MajorNorma MajorAn inspiring tale through London by pictures narrated by Paul Scofield.
- DirectorDaryl GoodrichStarsAde AdepitanJo AnkierDavid BeckhamFeaturing cameos from some of Britains best loved sports men and women, film, TV and radio personalities, the film captures the heart and soul of London and helped the capital city to win the 2012 Olympic Games Bid. Directed by Daryl Goodrich Produced by Magnolia Lowe
- DirectorLindsay AndersonKarel ReiszStarsRichard Burton
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsJames DewarMarion KnightDave Marks
- StarsSidney JamesA look into London's street markets and how they're suffering to compete with supermarkets.
- DirectorFranny ArmstrongKen LoachStarsHelen SteelDave MorrisVeronika HyksMcLibel is the inside story of the postman and the gardener who took on the McDonald's Corporation. Filmed over three years, the documentary follows Helen Steel and Dave Morris, anonymous campaigners who become unlikely global heroes. Struggling to defend themselves in the longest trial in English history, they face infiltration by spies, secret meetings with corporate executives, 40,000 pages of background reading, and a visit from Ronald McDonald. Using interviews with witnesses and reconstructions of key moments in court, the film examines the main issues in the trial: nutrition, animals, advertising, employment, the environment, and freedom of speech.
- DirectorKen LoachFranny ArmstrongStarsHelen SteelDave MorrisBruce AlexanderMcLibel is the story of two ordinary people who humiliated McDonald's in the biggest corporate PR disaster in history.
- DirectorMichael Orrom
- DirectorRoy HarrisDenis MitchellA study of the people of a northern city and their attitudes to the arrival of a new day.
- DirectorJ. FaresPerky presenter Gamal Kinnay extols the joys of industrial Cardiff, in this recruitment film designed to encourage Arab workers to come to Britain.
- DirectorHarry WattBasil WrightStarsArthur ClarkJohn GriersonStuart LeggShows the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in Scotland overnight.
- DirectorMarc KarlinMary KellyJames ScottStarsSally AlexanderAnn BurnettMay Hobbs"Night Cleaners" is set in the context of the campaign (1970-1972) to unionize the women who cleaned office blocks at night and were being victimized and underpaid. Intending at the outset to make a campaign film, the Collective was forced to turn to new forms in order to represent the forces at work between the cleaners, the Cleaner's Action Group and the Unions - and the complex nature of the campaign itself.
- DirectorDon LettsStarsSoo CatwomanSteve StrangeRobin BanksDocumentary on the London punk-rock scene, circa '78.
- StarsLaurence OlivierQueen Elizabeth IIPrince PhilipA lavish documentary film of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953.
- DirectorSam Collyns
- DirectorBert HaanstraDocumentary about mankind's struggle with insects. English title: The Rival World.
- DirectorRichard CawstonStarsWalter AnnenbergKing Charles IIIMichael FlandersIntimate portrait of the daily life of the British Royal Family drawn from 18 months of filming within Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral.
- DirectorPaul AlmondStarsDouglas KeayBruce BaldenJacqueline BassettIn this the first installment, we get a chance to meet some of the individuals who took on the responsibility of the 7 Up project, 21-years-ago - Tony, Bruce, Suzi, Nick and Peter.
- DirectorDerek WilliamsDocumenting the pollution of natural resources and the misuse of technology.
- DirectorGeoffrey JonesDocumental account of trains, railway workers, passengers and landscapes in the winter of 1963 in the UK (The Big Freeze).
- DirectorBasil WrightStarsLionel WendtA short film which documents the lives of the Sinhalese people.
- DirectorMaxwell MundenStarsJohn LaurieBill OwenHow common people have had an influence on the history of Great Britain, told through music and song.
- DirectorFrank HurleyStarsErnest ShackletonFrank WorsleyJ. StenhouseThe story of the 1914-1916 Antarctic exploration mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The ship sails south, breaking the ice, and ultimately getting trapped by the fast-changing weather. The ship breaks up in the ice, and while 22 men and 70 dogs wait on Elephant Island, Shackleton and a crew of five take a 20-foot lifeboat 800 miles to South Georgia Island to mount a rescue mission. We also get a good look at the exotic animals of the region, particularly the penguins.
- DirectorAnthony SimmonsIn 1951, Southend On Sea was a popular day out for trippers from London, who are seen here enjoying a very British day at the seaside. The film has no dialogue and is set to music hall songs.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughSome invertebrates have overcome the limitation of their small size by banding together in huge numbers. Many of these societies are so fine-tuned in the way they operate it's as if they were a single being. But insect societies aren't all shining examples of co-operative behaviour. The series ends with two insect armies fighting head on as Matabele ants raid a nearby termite mound. The result is total carnage.
- StarsLeslie MitchellAdele DixonThe BBC Television OrchestraIn this film, specially taken for the BBC, viewers are given an idea of the growth of the television installation at Alexandra Palace and an insight into production routine. There will be many shots behind the scenes. One sequence, for instance, will show Adele Dixon as she appears to viewers in the Variety at 3.30 this afternoon, and will then reveal the technical staff and equipment in the studio that made this transmission possible.
- DirectorDon LevyProduced by the Nuffiled Foundation of Unit for the History of ideas, Time Is, directed by Don Levy (Herostratus), is an experimental collage film looking at the scientific problems connected with the nature of time. Alternating between original and `found' footage such as newsreels, sports footage, nature photography, the film uses a number of techniques including slow motion, time-lapse and single-frame filming, negative imagery and juxtaposition.
- DirectorRalph BondRuby GriersonStarsHoward MarshallTaking a look at British rural working-class life in the 1930's.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsSimon YatesJoe SimpsonBrendan MackeyThe true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsNick BroomfieldMargaret ThatcherAri Ben-MenasheKamikaze documentarian Nick Broomfield unleashes his bothersome Brit persona on the Iron Lady in this hilariously revealing film. The result is ninety minutes of the filmmaker being rigorously denied access to his subject, exposing sides of Thatcher that more hands-on portraits might never approach.
- DirectorRobert VasFocus on the Jewish community in a dying part of Britain's capital.
- DirectorPat JacksonStarsEric FullertonDuncan MacKenzieW. KerrA wartime film, made under the auspices of the Crown Film Unit, serving as a tribute to the Merchant Navy. During WWII, they kept the lifeline to America and the Commonwealth open so that this little island could fight on. Even as late as 1943/4 when this was made, the convoys still provided vital essential supplies as well as the materiel necessary to take the fight into Europe. This film dramatizes the experiences of many merchant seamen.
- DirectorThorold DickinsonStarsDonald Bull'Westward Ho!' (1940) was the first of many government-sponsored 'five-minuters': short, specific and urgent public information films, distributed free to cinemas. This one was made by a commercial film studio, with feature film director Thorold Dickinson using technicians from recent projects. Astonishingly, exactly two weeks after shooting started, prints were already screening. Dickinson was inspired by a newspaper letter from a mother objecting to evacuation. He seeks to reassure parents that procedures are being implemented carefully, to underline the bitter necessity of what was a controversial policy. The first objective is achieved by showing one infant group's evacuation from London to Devon. The final two minutes engage with the second task. Female refugees, superimposed on a map of Europe, beseech Britons to learn from the tragic consequences of delayed evacuation in their countries. A warning from a grimly determined soldier concludes the film. Stylishly shot, this is effective, economical filmmaking for a time of crisis. Dickinson neither dares nor needs to stress the situation's poignancy. Parents today will surely be powerfully affected by scenes of their 1940 counterparts waving off the trains, and by later shots of plucky young faces.
- DirectorMary FieldStarsE.V.H. EmmettWartime public information film about rationing with a fun mixture of natural history.