This film is part of Free
Lahore - Badshahi Mosque
Extraordinary home movie footage of prayers in the Punjabi capital
Overview
T. Burtt's home movies offer a vivid picture of Simla, Ajmer, Pushkar and, particularly, Lahore in the 1930s. It's easy to assume that tactless members of the Raj filmed exactly what they wanted without requesting permission. Yet Burtt achieved this extraordinary footage of prayers at the Badshahi Mosque - featuring what appear to be hundreds of thousands of men - with the help and full approval of the Mosque authorities. Despite the wobbly camera and dodgy angles, this is epic cinema. Then part of India, the Punjabi capital Lahore has been part of Pakistan since 1947.
Related
An Eastern Market An Eastern Market
Travelogue 1928 9 mins Silent
Documentary detailing a farmer’s visit to the market in Rawalpindi
Kagan Valley Kagan Valley
Amateur film 1931 15 mins
Amateur travelogue of the Kagan Valley and Darband, Pakistan.
Our Garden - Jhelum Our Garden - Jhelum
Amateur film 1945 12 mins Silent
This amateur film captures Colonel and Mrs Lord's garden at Jhelum, as well as soldiers at Karachi.
Life in Hunza Life in Hunza
Amateur film 1937 11 mins Silent
Fertility rites and wine production: life in the Hunza valley in northern Pakistan.
Indian Life Indian Life
Amateur film 1940 18 mins Silent
A motorist's excursion captures a world made by hand in the environs of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.