This film is part of Free
Motorway
A striking report on the construction of the London-to Birmingham motorway.
Overview
Britain's first long-distance motorway, the M1, was a monumental construction project, made harder by a harsh winter and a flooded summer. This epic job's filmic potential wasn't lost on lead contractor John Laing & Son, who had a proud history of in-house filmmaking - and a clear interest in promoting its achievement. Motorway has sections of real imagination and ambition: notably a sequence showing the start of construction, shot from low and oblique angles to make the imposing diggers seem like true monsters.
Some spectacular helicopter shooting along the length of the road demonstrates the scale of the job, although some might think they also reveal the extent of the scar the construction made on the landscape.
Related
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.