The Song of the Shirt

Dance for All

September 2007 •English

Refuge

January 1972 •English

A documentary about the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order in London.

Annabel's: A String of Naked Lightbulbs

March 2015 •English

The story of Annabel's, the most celebrated nightclub in the world, and its 50-year history. Renowned for its discretion, and as a haunt of some of our greatest celebrities, the film offers a hitherto unseen glimpse into the rarefied worlds behind the doors of 44 Berkeley Square.

Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin'

November 2013 •English

An account of the short life of genius musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-70), probably the most talented and influential guitarist of the twentieth century: his humble beginnings in Seattle, his time in New York, his rise to fame in swinging London… Live fast, love hard, die young.

Bombin'

January 1987 •English

First broadcast in 1987 on the UK's Channel 4, Bombin' is a documentary about Afrika Bambaataa's Zulu nation bringing American hip-hop culture to the UK for first time. The main focus is the graffiti art of Brim and the variety of reactions he is faced with from the British public and press.

Rum, Sodomy and the Lash

July 2005 •English

Documentary about life in the Royal Navy during the era of Horatio Nelson

Looking at London

June 1946 •English

A colorful travelogue of London's most historic buildings and the residual damage still left from WWII.

The London Nobody Knows

December 1968 •English

Based on Geoffrey Fletcher’s book, this captivating documentary exposes the real London of the swinging sixties. Turning its back on familiar sights, the film explores the hidden details of a crumbling metropolis. With James Mason as our Guide, we are led on an tour of the weird and wonderful pockets of London from abandoned music-halls to egg breaking factories.

The First World War

November 1934 •English

Produced by the Fox Movietone News arm of Fox Film Corporation and based on the book by Lawrence Stallings, this expanded newsreel, using stock-and-archive footage, tells the story of World War I from inception to conclusion. Alternating with scenes of trench warfare and intimate glimpses of European royalty at home, and scenes of conflict at sea combined with sequences of films from the secret archives of many of the involved nations.

Cinema Now

April 2022 •English

A fragmented collection of independent closed cinemas, in London during lockdown, captured on Super 8mm film.

Freddie Mercury: The Untold Story

December 2000 •English

Freddie Mercury (1946-91) was not just a man with one of the most pure and amazing voices the world has heard, but he was also the lead singer for Queen, the most enthusiastic rock band in history.

Punk Girls - Die weibliche Geschichte des britischen Punk

April 2024 •German

London 1976: Between economic crises and the Silver Jubilee, something is brewing in the squats and basement clubs of West London: Punk. A promise, a new beginning. Punk meant self-empowerment, especially for the women in the scene. For the first time, women picked up guitar, bass and drums, formed bands and wrote their own songs.

Tonite Let's All Make Love in London

September 1967 •English

Peter Whitehead’s disjointed Swinging London documentary, subtitled “A Pop Concerto,” comprises a number of different “movements,” each depicting a different theme underscored by music: A early version of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” plays behind some arty nightclub scenes, while Chris Farlowe’s rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Out of Time” accompanies a young woman’s description of London nightlife and the vacuousness of her own existence. In another segment, the Marquess of Kensington (Robert Wace) croons the nostalgic “Changing of the Guard” to shots of Buckingham Palace’s changing of the guard, and recording act Vashti are seen at work in the studio. Sandwiched between are clips of Mick Jagger (discussing revolution), Andrew Loog Oldham (discussing his future) – and Julie Christie, Michael Caine, Lee Marvin, and novelist Edna O’Brien (each discussing sex). The best part is footage of the riot that interrupted the Stones’ 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert.

Elizabeth Taylor in London

October 1963 •English

Actress Elizabeth Taylor, who was born in London, England, gives viewers a tour of the city, including her birthplace, the Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, Battersea Park and an East End church that was damaged in the infamous "blitz" air raids during World War II. She also recites several famous English poems and speeches by notable English figures.

Many Beautiful Things

October 2015 •English

In an age when women were incapable of joining the artistic dialogue, Lilias Trotter managed to win the favour of celebrated critics.

The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story

March 2003 •English

The full bizarre, tragic but celebratory story of Syd Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd.

The Re-Up

November 2012 •English

A backstage and on-stage look at Nicki Minaj's career during the Pink Friday Tour, festivals, and more.

London's Trafalgar Square

January 1890 •

Moving picture of London's Trafalgar Square traffic, filmed with a kinesigraph.

Rude Boy

July 1980 •English

Rude Boy is a semi-documentary, part character study, part 'rockumentary', featuring a British punk band, The Clash. The script includes the story of a fictional fan juxtposed with actual public events of the day, including political demonstrations and Clash concerts.

Victorian Britain on Film

November 2021 •English

Offers audiences a unique window into a bygone era when a thrilling new invention, the motion picture camera, first captures a nation on film.