Rentals
Century of Cinema
Personal and profound look into lives immersed in film. These documentaries about films and culture show the medium's role in love and war, nostalgia and national identity.
Cinema was born in the late 19th century when inventors in three different countries almost simultaneously developed the technology to shoot moving film and to project it. The Lumiere Brothers were the first in Paris, 1895. To celebrate cinema's centenary, in 1995 the BFI produced a series of documentaries in which talented directors were invited to contemplate their own national cinemas. The results ranged between highly personal and profoundly universal, and together constitute this collection, Century of Cinema.
Night of the Filmmakers Night of the Filmmakers
Documentary 1995 51 mins Director: Edgar Reitz
From the director of Heimat, a mini-epic about the history of German cinema.
100 Years of Polish Cinema 100 Years of Polish Cinema
Documentary 1996 61 mins Director: Pawel Lozinski
A history of Polish movies perceived by cinemagoers of all ages.
Typically British Typically British
Documentary 1994 76 mins Director: Stephen Frears and Michael Dibb
Stephen Frears explores the wealth of images created by the British film industry in the 20th century.
Irish Cinema - Ourselves Alone? Irish Cinema - Ourselves Alone?
Documentary 1996 51 mins Director: Donald Taylor Black
Irish images, foreign fathers: asking why a nation's cinematic identity has been outsourced.
A Century of Australian Cinema A Century of Australian Cinema
Documentary 1996 68 mins Director: George Miller
Mad Max director George Miller explores the tradition of film production in Australia.
Cinema of Unease A Personal Journey by Sam Neill Cinema of Unease A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
Documentary 1995 52 mins Director: Sam Neill and Judy Rymer
Take a trip with Sam Neill through his country's celluloid culture.
Yang ± Yin - Gender in Chinese Cinema Yang ± Yin - Gender in Chinese Cinema
Documentary 1997 79 mins Director: Stanley Kwan Kam-pang
An inspirational and star-laden journey through Chinese cinema in the company of John Woo, Chen Kaige, Ang Lee and Tsui Hark.
A Century of French Cinema A Century of French Cinema
Documentary 1995 50 mins Director: Anne-Marie Miéville and Jean-Luc Godard
Six regions, six films appraised for cultural and historical meaning. Produced by Jean-Luc Godard.
More Century of Cinema films in our Subscription collection.