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Explore archive films
See shorts and features, showing the best from the BFI, national and regional archives - including 120 years of Britain on film
Britain on Film map
Watch thousands of beautifully preserved films, capturing our lives and our stories over 120 years. Search by location to find films about places that mean the world to you.
What we're watching
We the RagamuffinWe the Ragamuffin
199226 mins
Julian Henriques' urban musical showcases the style, vernacular and vibrancy of British Caribbean Dancehall culture.
New Poet LaureateNew Poet Laureate
Current affairs19847 mins Location: North Tawton
Ted Hughes celebrates the news of his nomination at his local pub and vows to try and uphold the spiritual unity of the tribe.
Alive and KickingAlive and Kicking
Documentary19378 minsSilent Location: Highbury
Arsenal footballers including Ted Drake, Eddie Hapgood and Cliff Bastin show off their skills in training for this council film to promote healthy living.
Market Day at St. AlbansMarket Day at St. Albans
Amateur film19693 minsSilent Location: St Albans
Amateur filmmaker John Anderson captures the tail end of the sixties, incidentally showing the pop culture and homeware trends of this era, visiting market day in St. Albans.
A Social EventA Social Event
Non-Fiction19291 minsSilent Location: Lord's Cricket Ground
The 100th cricket match between Eton and Harrow at Lord’s brings out the cream of London society.
Frank at 'Cities in the Park'Frank at 'Cities in the Park'
Amateur film19914 minsSilent Location: Heaton Park
Sunday in the park with Frank Sidebottom and the Manchester music mob.
Opening of the J.B. Priestley LibraryOpening of the J.B. Priestley Library
Promotional197516 mins Location: Bradford
Bradford-born author J.B. Priestley is in fine humour in this insightful film that depicts his opening of a new library at Bradford Uni.
WeymouthWeymouth
Amateur film19564 minsSilent Location: Weymouth
A family holiday to the popular summer retreat on the coast of Dorset.
Beer: VJ DayBeer: VJ Day
Home movie19452 minsSilent Location: Worcester
Spontaneous celebrations on the streets of Worcester as the end of the Second World War is declared.
BaseballBaseball
Amateur film19497 minsSilent Location: Cogan
Competitive hit-and-runs end with tea in the clubhouse for Cardiff's Cogan and Fairoaks baseball teams.
AbergynolwynAbergynolwyn
Home movie19736 minsSilent Location: Abergynolwyn
Bereft of the Bryn Eglwys quarry, which closed after WWII, the people of Abergynolwyn still have the railway and a school, café and shop.
Harp - Ronnie Barker (Version 1)Harp - Ronnie Barker (Version 1)
Advert19720 mins
Ronnie Barker of The Two Ronnies advises viewers to stock up with some cans of Harp lager in this chirpy early seventies TV advert.
Scotland SpeaksScotland Speaks
Documentary194120 mins Location: Stirling
Well-known landmarks such as Stirling Castle and Bannockburn fields feature in this propaganda film about Scotland during the Second World War.
Barging through LondonBarging through London
192411 mins Location: Limehouse
Part of Wonderful London, the BFI National Archive’s programme of restored London travelogues, filmed in the capital in the 1920s.
A Visit to SouthendA Visit to Southend
Amateur film19293 minsSilent Location: Westcliff-on-Sea
A nostalgic look at Westcliffe-on-Sea and Southend, from the Duncan Brand Film Collection - with quiet streets, modish shoppers and a famous mile long pier
The Wharfedale SceneThe Wharfedale Scene
Home movie197715 mins Location: Ilkley
With the so-called ‘winter of discontent’ on the horizon, here we have summer contentment generated by the serenity and simple life of ‘God’s own county’.
Bognor 1954Bognor 1954
Amateur film19547 minsSilent Location: Bognor Regis
Amateur film of a family trip to Bognor, including shots of the beach and the pier.
The Appeal Fund for Penzance after the StormThe Appeal Fund for Penzance after the Storm
News196212 mins Location: Penzance
An appeal fund is set up for Cornish communities after significant storm damage.
NHS on Film
Film has the power to change lives – and even save them. No surprise, then, that moving images have played an important role in one of the world’s greatest public health services.
C.A.L.M.C.A.L.M.
Public Information Filler19971 mins
A powerful public information filler promoting CALM – a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide.
Towards a Better Life - Community HealthTowards a Better Life - Community Health
26 mins
A GP in rural Somerset and one in Kentish Town, London, reflect on “what is a General Practitioner in the 1980s?”
New Way of CaringNew Way of Caring
Documentary197321 mins
An in-house training film designed to explain the NHS' 1973 reorganisation to its staff.
District NurseDistrict Nurse
Government sponsored film195227 mins Location: Wadhurst
Never a dull moment for a rural district nurse in the early days of the NHS.
Something to OfferSomething to Offer
Documentary196922 mins
An interesting documentary on psychiatric provision, set at a Plymouth day hospital and originally produced for nursing recruitment.
Blood Donor : Glenda and ErnieBlood Donor : Glenda and Ernie
Public Information Filler19813 mins
Glenda Jackson makes a song and a dance about giving blood – in a wise-cracking double act with Ernie Wise.
Featured collections
Nineties Shorts
Exploring the films and filmmakers that broke the rules of cinema in the 1990s.
London's Bridges on Film
A special selection of films capturing a century of life along the Thames and the iconic structures spanning it, to mark the launch of Illuminated River, a major new public art commission.
Football on Film
Football and film: two giants of 20th century spectacle. Born just a few years apart, film and the professional game have grown up together, as this fascinating collection shows.