Inside the Archive #41: Swedish collaborations and forthcoming attractions

Still buzzing with energy from the BFI Film on Film Festival and preparing to welcome visitors for Heritage Open Day, the BFI’s Film Laboratory team is also becoming increasingly active with peers across FIAF (the International Federation of Film Archives). In August, Chris Stenner, Film Laboratory Lead at the BFI, joined a newly established working group supported by the FIAF Technical Commission. The group aims to connect film archive-run laboratories, building a network for spare parts, maintenance, and shared expertise. Although the network is still in its early days, this marks an important step in safeguarding and sustaining such highly specialised knowledge. It also reveals the strongest bond within FIAF: collaboration.

So it was that Elena Nepoti (Film Conservation Manager), Chris Stenner (Film Laboratory Lead), and Kieron Webb (Head of Conservation) were able to head to Stockholm on August Bank Holiday to meet with Jon Wengström, Senior Curator at the Swedish Film Institute, and work on some collaborative plans.

Visiting Jon and his colleagues at the Institute was inspiring in many ways. Their main building in Stockholm, the Filmhuset, is itself a tribute to cinema, designed to resemble a film strip – with perforations along the walls, windows shaped like frames, and even a hidden ‘eye’ set into one façade. The conservation facility at Rotebro was especially exciting to explore; with its impressive collections in pristine vaults alongside crucial care being carried out by a dedicated team. Both sites also reflect the clean, elegant touch of Scandinavian design in their interiors.

For Elena, a highlight of the trip was being able to touch the film can containing the camera negatives of Wild Strawberries (1957) by Ingmar Bergman, carefully preserved by the Swedish Digital Lab. Due to its fragile condition, the film could not be fully scanned in-house, so the team was developing a dedicated preservation plan to ensure its survival. Elena was so inspired that she went to watch the film in 4K at BFI Southbank, which perfectly complemeted the trip.

Archive film laboratories are fascinating places – home to passionate, like-minded individuals eager to share their knowledge, experience, and ideas. Chris found the staff at the Swedish Film Institute to be no exception. His highlight was their lab that houses an impressive collection of archival equipment, all in excellent condition and lovingly maintained. It was a joy to see, especially given how rare such machinery has become.

Kieron was tickled that a BFI National Archive 35mm print of Muriel Box’s Street Corner (1953), on loan to SFI for public screening at the Filmhuset, was being checked during our visit. The SFI/BFI teams conversed on best preparation techniques for the print, which has been round several blocks. Looks like we need to make a new one..!

Following the decline of commercial 35mm film printing over a decade ago, much of this equipment was either scrapped or had been modified for high-speed commercial use, making it unsuitable for the more delicate and precise work required in archival preservation. That’s what makes facilities like those at the SFI so valuable – they not only preserve film, but also the tools and expertise needed to care for it properly.

Although our visit was brief, we were able to enjoy several of Stockholm’s highlights – among them the house where Greta Garbo was born, the Royal Dramatic Theatre where Ingmar Bergman once staged his plays, a late opening night exhibition on Anton Corbijn at the Fotografiska gallery, and, most impressively, a vast 1628 vessel that came remarkably close to the image of a ghost ship! We can also confirm that Swedish meatballs are every bit as good as their reputation, particularly when served with buttery mashed potatoes….

– Elena Nepoti (Film Conservation Manager), Chris Stenner (Film Laboratory Lead) and Kieron Webb (Head of Conservation)

We’re delighted to announce that the BFI National Archive’s new 4K remaster of Hotel London (1987) will receive its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

Exploring the housing crisis that plagued the capital in the 1980s (still painfully relevant today), racial discrimination and the South Asian experience of trying to make a home in Britain, the remaster screens at the ICA on 16 October 2025 with the film’s director/scriptwriter Ahmed Alauddin Jamal in attendance.

The remaster is part of a wider BFI National Archive remastering project, recognising the cultural significance and enduring legacy of the highly influential Black and South Asian British Workshop movement.

Known for their issue-driven films working across drama, documentary and experimental modes, these collective groups made urgent, searching films about the multiplicity of the Black and South Asian experience in the UK. The workshops successfully developed partnerships with funding bodies such as the BFI, Arts Council, local authorities, voluntary organisations and the newly established television broadcaster Channel Four. 

Look out for more updates about the project over the coming months.

– Sarah Bemand, Press Manager

The Inside the Archive blog is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.