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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.
100 Years of Japanese Cinema 100 Years of Japanese Cinema
Documentary 1996 52 mins Director: Nagisa Oshima
Archive propels argument in this fascinating exploration of the social and cultural importance of Japan's film heritage.
A Personal Journey... Part 1 A Personal Journey... Part 1
Documentary 1995 72 mins Director: Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson
The first part of Martin Scorsese's 'personal journey' through American Cinema.
A Personal Journey… Part 2 A Personal Journey… Part 2
Documentary 1995 79 mins Director: Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson
The second part of Martin Scorsese's 'personal journey' through American Cinema.
A Personal Journey… Part 3 A Personal Journey… Part 3
Documentary 1995 74 mins Director: Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson
The third part of Martin Scorsese's 'personal journey' through American Cinema
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 Rentals collection.