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One of the most famous of all early films, James Williamson's The Big Swallow is the first to play with the internal logic of the film form itself. "I won't, I won't! I'll eat the camera first," ...

From workshop to showroom to shopfront, here’s a thorough initiation into the many departments of an early 20th century local business. Think of it as an Edwardian infomercial - an early, small-town ...

From Victorian voyeurism to Soho striptease: how a hidden film industry emerged to satisfy the sexual appetites of (male) viewers.

Combining 16mm colour footage of Lagos, Nigeria from the 70s with stop-motion and 2D hand-drawn animation, this multilayered autobiographical animation explores personal memories and the cultural ...

Is this Britain's oldest erotic film? Modern viewers might question how genuinely erotic it is, But it certainly pushes the boundaries of what was permissible in 1896 - and there's little doubt that ...

Kevin Brownlow’s portrait of the last days of Glasgow’s tram system centres on the last tram to run in 1962, accentuating the mood of the final journey by contrasting shots of the event to the funky ...

Dissatisfaction is rife as the Ministry of Health withdraws the motorised trikes supplied and maintained on the NHS for people with mobility issues. Despite the scheme closing the year of this film, ...

Cinema's railway obsession goes back to the dawn of the medium, when French pioneers the Lumière brothers filmed the arrival of a train at la Ciotat in 1895. British filmmakers soon took to the tracks ...

In this major season we spotlight Japanese filmmakers who have inspired admiration and fascination around the world ...

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Use your preferred email address. BFI Player films are not available to watch in the US. Join us on BFI Player Classics to start enjoying an unrivalled selection of classic British movies.