External Site: British Council Film Collection[info]
This collection of 120 short films was produced by the British Council in the 1940s to promote a picture of ‘Britain and Britishness’ abroad and to present the country in a positive light during World War II. Although essentially produced as cultural propaganda, the films are extremely varied in subject matter, covering leisure activities, industry, education, the arts, science and technology as well as urban and rural life. The film The People’s Land - filmed in Technicolor and accompanied by Ralph Vaughan Williams’ evocative score - tells the story of the founding of the National Trust and is typical in its idealised presentation of Britain as a country where the idea of freedom is seen as being as much a constituent part of its traditions as the physical elements of the landscape itself. The films are free to view and the website positively encourages users to download the films, use them creatively and share the results. A series of case studies, illustrated with digitised versions of original documents and paperwork and a number of contextual essays adds value to the site’s content. The films are presented with detailed credits, original synopses, and a series of interesting facts (somewhat misleadingly called ‘Trivia’) about each film, along with links to other parts of the collection and other websites.