The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is currently unavailable

Jorvik: The Vikings Return
A historic museum in more than one sense, here unearthed, rising upon the site where its own artefacts are dug up, and recreating the people, smells and sounds of the Viking age.
From the collection of:

Overview
This is an excellent presentation of all that went into making the world famous Jorvik Museum in York just as it neared its completion in 1984. Pioneering a new way of experiencing the exhibits in a museum, the film allows those who dreamt up the idea of immersing the visitor into the past, and those who brought it to life, to reveal just how it was done; with Magnus Magnusson providing added enthusiasm and intellectual weight.
In his 2014 book on the development of the Jorvik Museum, On My Way to Jorvik, the centre’s Project Designer, John Sunderland, recounts how the idea of making the experience of visiting the Museum like watching a film, presenting it as a story, was a very novel approach; the whole enterprise was a tremendous learning experience for all involved. Since its opening the Museum has had over 17 million visitors and two major refurbishments, bringing it up to date with the findings of the latest archaeological research. The faces of the Viking figures have also been updated by forensic software to reflect better how the Viking inhabitants of York would have looked.
Related

This Is York This Is York
Travelogue 1953 21 mins Location: York
The Stationmaster at York guides us through a typical day, from dawn to dusk.

Alarm Call Alarm Call
Advert 1955 2 mins Location: York
A drink for all occasions, but especially to relieve the stress of those brave souls battling fires, floods and well-behaved children.

Kit Kat: Meccano Kit Kat: Meccano
1969 0 mins Location: York
Any boy struggling to construct Meccano will deserve a chocolate break, though perhaps this won’t be as satisfying as completing the Meccano.

Rowntrees Aero: Train Rowntrees Aero: Train
Advert 1980 1 mins Location: York
The bar with unique bubbly texture, using a secret bubbly formula, giving rise to the bubbly banter of bubbly flirting.

Dairy Box: Skiffle Cellar Dairy Box: Skiffle Cellar
Advert 1958 1 mins Location: York
Out goes the romantic gesture and in comes the hip as Una Stubbs and her fellow cats break open the chocolates in a groovy scene in a groovy club.

Black Magic: Taxi Black Magic: Taxi
1964 1 mins Location: York
Chocolates and wealth, chocolates and taste, chocolates and elegance, chocolates and romance: the lifestyle of chocolates.

Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A
Inside Film 2025 38 mins
Kyle MacLachlan talks to BFI CEO Ben Roberts about working with David Lynch on the legendary series Twin Peaks.

On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.

Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.