The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
The First Chinese Shop in Plymouth
Andy Price is going global with his ingredients from this new Chinese shop in Plymouth.
In partnership with:
Overview
Andy Price visits the newly opened Chinese shop in Harwell Street the first in Plymouth with a Chinese friend who takes him through some of the very special ingredients. Hundred-year egg, century egg or pidan is a type of preserved egg coated in mud and rice husk and salted duck egg is soaked in brine and packed in a layer of salted charcoal paste. They are often boiled and eaten with congee a type of rice porridge from Guangdong, the province around Hong Kong.
Dried octopus, squid and birds nests are used in soup. The nests come from the solidified saliva of different birds usually swifts and swallows and are harvested from caves for bird’s nest soup creating a gelatinous delicacy and pound for pound, one of the most sought after and expensive animal products in the world. Exports have been restricted since outbreaks of Avian flu but the soup is still popular on mainland China with imports coming from Northern Sumatra in Indonesia. The shop owner uses the classic Chinese abacus of five and two with five beads on the lower half and two beads on the upper to calculate using the exchange method - five beads on the lower abacus is equal one bead on the upper. All for £3.2s.6d.
Related
Watch for free
Chinese characters in British film (Q&A) Chinese characters in British film (Q&A)
Inside Film 2014 3 mins
BFI Curator Dylan Cave, filmmaker/novelist Xiaolu Guo (She, a Chinese) and screenwriter Selina Lim (Painkiller) introduce the ‘Chinese Britain on Film’ collection.
Currently unavailable
China Town China Town
Magazine and Review show 1981 24 mins Location: Liverpool
One of the top TV stars of 1981: David Yip, aka the Chinese Detective, discovers the hidden history of Liverpool's Chinatown.
Currently unavailable
Nancy Kuo Nancy Kuo
Magazine and Review show 1985 9 mins Location: Camden Town
Composition is the key as Nancy Kuo guides us through the strength and grace of her art in her Camden Town studio.
Watch for free
East Sixteen East Sixteen
Documentary 1959 10 mins Location: Limehouse
Stylishly realised portrait of Chinese priest Peter Kao, who offers a Christian welcome to sailors from his homeland.
Currently unavailable
Chinese Community Chinese Community
Magazine and Review show 1985 8 mins Location: Sparkbrook
Labour, Tory or Alliance - where does the political allegiance of the West Midlands Chinese community lie?
Watch for free
From HK to MK From HK to MK
Short documentary 2017 10 mins
A mixed race son visits his Chinese father in Milton Keynes.
Watch for free
Dingles of Plymouth Dingles of Plymouth
Advert 1960 1 mins Location: Plymouth
A charming regional commercial for Plymouth’s best loved department store.
Watch for free
Millbay Laundry Millbay Laundry
Advert 1960 0 mins Location: Plymouth
Help keep your relationship on track by outsourcing your laundry!
Watch for free
Model Clipper Sailor Model Clipper Sailor
Current affairs 1965 2 mins Location: Plymouth
Former shipwright turns his talents to model-making.
Watch for free
Comely Caviar Comely Caviar
Current affairs 1984 1 mins Location: Plymouth
Reporter tests the theory of caviar heightening libido.
Watch for free
Last Cooper Last Cooper
Current affairs 1967 5 mins Location: Plymouth
The last apprenticed cooper in the Royal Navy’s Royal William Victualling Yard undergoes a trusso, an ancient rite of passage.
Watch for free
Liberté Liner Liberté Liner
Current affairs 1961 5 mins Location: Plymouth
Cruising into the history books SS Liberté makes its final voyage stopping at Plymouth en route to Le Havre.
Watch for free
Showgirls is a Western Showgirls is a Western
Short documentary 2025 2 mins
In this mini video essay, BFI contributor Maha Al-Badrawi explains why Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls is a rhinestoned, stilettoed Western.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.