Benjamin Britten - Personal Film 1939-1978

Charming scenes of the composer at home in Suffolk with his partner Peter Pears, and on trips with friends including Rostropovich.

Benjamin Britten relaxes with friends and his partner and muse Peter Pears in this collection of home movies, which gives a lovely insight into the composer's home life in Suffolk. Among the snapshots of holidays and other occasions are Britten and Pears attending the Aldeburgh Festival over the years, glimpses of homes including Crag Cottage and the Red House, and an ailing but cheerful Britten on a trip to Venice. Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, a close friend of Britten's, also makes an appearance, playfully messing about for the camera with Britten on a trip to Durham in 1964.

Spanning a period of almost 40 years, the films alternate between colour and black and white, and end rather sadly in 1978 with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating Britten, who had died two years earlier. This film was donated to the BFI National Archive by the Britten-Pears Library.