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Druids, kings and mystics - rekindling the ancient spirit of Glastonbury.
Documentary 1922 68 mins Silent
In the shadow of the Glastonbury Tor, locals re-enact their town's history: from the early Mendip encampments, through King Alfred's defeat of the Danes, to a more contemporary staging of the Michaelmas Fair. The film was the brainchild of writer and teacher Alice Buckton (1867-1944) who was devoted to preserving the region's rich historic legacy. Look out for her in the opening shots.
Alice Buckton was one of the founding members of the 'New Avalonians', a movement that emerged in the 20s to research, preserve and celebrate Glastonbury's rich past. Other members included writer and spiritualist Wellesley Tudor Pole (grandfather of punk singer and actor Edward Tudor Pole). A contemporary article in The Times described the ambitious Glastonbury Past and Present as "the first film record of the history of a British town".
Drama 1913 54 mins Silent
Johnston Forbes-Roberston gives his famous performance of Hamlet in this ambitious early Shakespeare feature
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1989 5 mins
Two virtuoso performances in one – Shakespeare's complete works presented in puppet form by a master of animation
Short documentary 2016 9 mins
Discover why filmmakers in the silent era turned to the works of William Shakespeare for inspiration.
Inside Film 1967 16 mins
Teenage actors discuss their work with Franco Zeffirelli on Romeo and Juliet.
Comedy 1910 11 mins Silent
Vitagraph’s charming 1910 interpretation features some notably lively performances.
Inside Film 2016 31 mins
The stars of Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet are reunited on stage for the first time since 1968 as part of the BFI and British Council’s Shakespeare on Film.
Amateur film 1930 7 mins Silent Location: Glastonbury
Join the Blighs on their homeward journey through the Southern counties - calling at Glastonbury and various ancient landmarks east
Travelogue 1947 17 mins Silent Location: Cheddar Gorge
Hitchcock went the wrong way! Head south by southwest with this travelogue from Bath to Cornwall.
News 1972 5 mins Location: Glastonbury
Glastonbury ley lines for iconic pyramid stage to heighten a festival-goer’s experience
Travelogue 1916 1 mins Silent Location: Cheddar Gorge
Pure tranquillity in rural Somerset, a world away from the war raging on the continent.
Amateur film 1930 20 mins Silent Location: Harewood
There are some visual rarities in this fascinating compilation spanning three decades - featuring air raid shelter antics, switchback rollercoasters and aerials over Oxford.
Travelogue 1926 12 mins Silent Location: Glastonbury
Blessed are the cheesemakers of Somerset in this tour of Cheddar and nearby Glastonbury.
Charity appeal 2020 2 mins
Beautiful NHS fundraiser, setting Michael Rosen’s poem to powerful archive images.
Non-Fiction 1901 4 mins Silent Location: Manchester
A volunteer cavalry regiment is enthusiastically welcomed home after active service in South Africa.
Non-Fiction 1901 2 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
All ashore! Passengers disembark and crew offload after a long Atlantic crossing.
Non-Fiction 1902 3 mins Silent Location: Weston Park
A stroll in the park for civilised city-dwellers in Edwardian South Yorkshire.
Non-Fiction 1924 1 mins Silent Location: Woking
The UK's first purpose-built mosque welcomes a huge crowd of worshippers - and newsreel cameras!
Comedy 1914 9 mins Silent
A vicar is caught flirting with an improperly-dressed chorus girl in this saucy silent comedy.
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