Archive collections
The Birds and the Bees
From the earliest-known example, Whatsoever a Man Soweth (1917) to the comical, but ultimately serious, ‘Ave You Got a Male Assistant Please
Black Five: The Last Days of Steam
Three films by Paul Barnes that celebrate and regret the final days of steam on the railways – preserved by the BFI National Archive and remastered
The COI Collection Volume Eight: Your Children and You
A fascinating look at the social history of Britain and our ever-evolving attitudes to children and child-rearing.
A Day in the Life
John Krish is one of British cinema’s best-kept secrets: a master of post-war documentary filmmaking who repeatedly turned his works for spon
Electric Edwardians: The Films of Mitchell and Kenyon
Probably the most exciting film discovery of recent times, the films of Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon were commissioned by travelling exhibitors
Free Cinema
The BFI has compiled the definitive collection of films from the 1950s’ Free Cinema movement.
Here’s a Health to the Barley Mow
This collection of documentaries, unseen television reports and silent film footage reveals how powerful and enduring the folk traditions of Great Britain have always been.
Land of Promise
This extensive collection is a major retrospective of the British documentary film movement during its period of greatest influence.
The National Coal Board Collection Volume One
Films to inform, entertain and galvanise working people across the country from 1947-1984.
Roll Out the Barrel
A collection of entertaining short dramas, humorous trade films, perceptive documentaries and archival newsreel items, presenting a history of the British boozer.
Secrets of Nature
The natural world has always inspired fascination.
Shadows of Progress
Shadows of Progress is a landmark collection, bringing together for the first time over 14 hours of film material preserved in the BFI National Arc
Silent Shakespeare
“The BFI should be congratulated on this DVD.
The Soviet Influence: Volume Two: Battleship Potemkin + Drifters
One of the classics of world cinema, Sergei Eisentein’s 1925 Battleship Potemkin, accompanied with the world premiere of John Grierson’s ground-breaking 1929 documentary Drifters.
Tales from the Shipyard
Britain’s shipbuilding heritage on film – from celebrated documentaries to lesser-known gems.
This Working Life: Steel
Rare documentaries, animations and short films focusing on the nation’s steel industry.
Wonderful London
From Hackney to Chelsea in the company of the great 1920s British travelogue.
