Street Scene in unidentified European city

Explorer: Lost in the Arctic

August 2023 •English

Sir John Franklin set off from England in 1845 with two ships and 129 men to be the first to navigate the Northwest Passage, a new trade route over the top of the world, when Franklin’s ships vanished without a trace. Now, a team of explorers attempts to solve the mystery by retracing Franklin’s route in search of his long-lost tomb.

Boys Scrambling For Pennies

January 1896 •English

Young boys going into the sea water by Brighton's West Pier in the UK to pick up pennies thrown in by people on the pier.

Bicycling Group

January 1896 •English

A staged film where over 100 cyclists cycle towards the camera.

Abegweit

January 1998 •English

A day-to-day record of the construction of the Confederation Bridge linking Prince Edward Island to the mainland, Abegweit reveals some of the innovations that made this mammoth project one of the most impressive engineering feats in Canadian history.

Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge

October 1888 •

A film by Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince, shot in late October 1888, showing pedestrians and carriages crossing Leeds Bridge.

Carousel

January 1896 •English

An actuallity film of a fairground carousel in action. Filmmaker unknown but it has been suggested it is R.W. Paul. The film was made on Hampstead heath, London, UK.

Sunderland

January 1896 •English

Poor pedestrian, horse drawn carts, wagons and bus travel across bridge at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.

Darwin's Darkest Hour

October 2009 •English

In 1858 Charles Darwin struggles to publish one of the most controversial scientific theories ever conceived, while he and his wife Emma confront family tragedy.

Panoramas of War

September 2018 •French

The end of the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71) saw the birth of the panoramas of war, huge circular paintings depicting scenes of war, cruelty and desolation that were contemplated by thousands of spectators, a kind of inmersive static newsreels, a mass media prior to the era of mass media, a virtual reality on canvas.

Walk on water

May 2000 •Swedish

An often humorous documentary about the building of the Öresund bridge, connecting Copenhagen in Denmark to Malmö in Sweden. We meet the people who work on production of the bridge, as well as opponents to the idea of such a bridge.

Fall 2

March 1970 •English

Bas Jan Ader rides his bike into a canal in Amsterdam.

Two Toddlers in High Chairs

Invalid date •English

Two toddlers sit for the camera in their best clothing. One is determined to take toys and objects from the other until the other toddler starts to cry. The BFI notes this is a copy of a film originally made by the Lumière brothers.

Le Baron et l'Empereur : Japon, la voie de la guerre

October 2023 •French

Jesse James: Legend, Outlaw, Terrorist

January 2005 •English

One of the most controversial figures in U.S. history, Jesse James has captured the imagination of the world for more than a century. Teen guerilla fighter, Civil War soldier, notorious bandit, James holds a place in popular legend like no other. Through expert accounts, historic analysis and forensic science, this revealing exposé traces the outlaw's life from his humble Southern childhood through his rise to infamy and his mysterious death.

The Mountain of the Lord

March 1993 •English

Recounts the 40-year history of building the Salt Lake Temple, shown as if recounted by Wilford Woodruff to a young reporter. It portrays the pioneers' dedication to temple worship.

L’épopée des vignerons

September 2022 •French

Wisconsin Death Trip

September 1999 •English

Inspired by the book of the same name, film-maker James Marsh relays a tale of tragedy, murder and mayhem that erupted behind the respectable facade of Black River Falls, Wisconsin in the 19th century.

The Russian Revolution

June 2017 •English

Starting in 1881 this film shows the personal battle between Lenin's Ulyanov family and the royal Romanovs that eventually led to the Russian revolution.

Napoleon: Destiny and Death

April 2021 •French

May 5, 1821. Napoleon Bonaparte, deposed emperor exiled on the island of St. Helena, is about to take his last breath. The son of a Corsican family, he has been close to death on many occasions since, as a young captain in the revolutionary army, he seized Toulon from the royalists in 1793.

The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God

November 1984 •English

They called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, but because of their ecstatic dancing, the world called them Shakers. Ken Burns creates a moving portrait of this particularly American movement, and in the process, offers us a new and unusually moving way to understand the Shakers.