This film is part of Free
The United Kingdom
What does it mean to be British? You might not have a much clearer idea after watching this animated portrait, but you will certainly be entertained
Overview
With the ink drying on the Maastricht Treaty, animators across Europe were commissioned to make cartoon calling cards for their respective countries under the title “Know Your Europeans”. Britain’s first animated Oscar winner Bob Godfrey, best known for his work on Roobarb and Henry’s Cat, was chosen to make the UK entry, which he handles with a typical mix of irreverence, ingenuity and humour. Long-term collaborator Colin Pearson contributes the lyrics, with Chris “Red Dwarf” Barrie the voice.
The film was co-produced by Halas & Batchelor, with the Hungarian-born, naturalised Brit, John Halas the main utopian spark behind the project. Eurosceptics might not be surprised that the project fell somewhat short of its original ambitions, and this UK effort was one of the few films completed.
Related
The Body Beautiful The Body Beautiful
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1990 24 mins
Autobiographical account of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring beauty standards and female sexuality.
Indian Tales Indian Tales
Student film 1994 12 mins Location: Haringey
Indian proverbs and superstitions shape the complex love life of a young British woman.
The Future Lasts a Long Time The Future Lasts a Long Time
Crime 1996 14 mins Location: Fens, The
Dream-like short film starring Samantha Morton, in one of her earliest screen credits, as one half of a couple on the run who hide out in the Fens.
The Stream The Stream
Documentary 1999 12 mins
Duncan Jones, director of Moon, Source Code and Warcraft, presents this ambitious Iron Age short about the star-crossed romance between a slave and gentry girl.
Dead London Dead London
Drama 1996 20 mins Location: Farringdon Station
Ewan Bremner and Dexter Fletcher star as a pair of morbid fortune tellers in this modern tale of dark arts.
Rave Rave
Documentary 1997 12 mins
Partying like it's 1997. We follow a rave DJ instigator rigging up decks in abandoned warehouses, a nosebleed 'techno tourist' who chases the hardcore around Europe and a girl addicted to... partying.
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.