Rentals
Women with a Movie Camera
Great films incite, others vex, a few elate. From pre-war to the present day, these remarkable works by international women directors do all that and more.
The place of female filmmakers in cinema history demands correction, and the future looks bright. Keep up with this dedicated collection.
The Body BeautifulThe Body Beautiful
Animation & Artists Moving Image199024 mins
Autobiographical account of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring beauty standards and female sexuality.
Flight of the SwanFlight of the Swan
Drama199212 mins
A young black ballerina rejects prejudice and finds her African spirit in Swan Lake.
White Men Are Cracking UpWhite Men Are Cracking Up
Drama199420 mins
The fatal fascination with the myth of the black feminine mystique is uncovered in Ngozi Onwurah's short
I'm British But...I'm British But...
Documentary198929 minsDirector: Gurinder Chadha
Britain beats to the sound of Bhangra and Bangla in Gurinder Chadha's debut film.
Around the Village GreenAround the Village Green
Travelogue193712 mins Location: Finchingfield
Rural life in the Essex villages of Finchingfield and Great Bardfield - and the mixed reactions of older residents to changing times.
So This Is LondonSo This Is London
Documentary193314 minsSilent Location: Westminster
London at its best? This gorgeous lyrical portrait was made by pioneering female director Marion Grierson.
Today We LiveToday We Live
Documentary193724 mins Location: South Cerney
A key social issues film documentary from the British Documentary Movement, this two-part film follows the establishment of social enterprises in England and Wales.
Black to FrontBlack to Front
Current affairs197827 mins Location: Brixton
World in Action interviews the residents of Haycroft Road, Brixton as a controversial by-election stokes concerns about race and immigration.
Tunde's FilmTunde's Film
Documentary drama197440 mins Location: Stepney
Tired of being hassled by the police and with no job opportunities, a group of teenage East End lads plan to rob a bank.
Cedar Wood & SilkCedar Wood & Silk
199514 mins
Insightful exploration of the relationship between a Jamaican mother and her British-born daughter.
Dover, Spring 1947Dover, Spring 1947
Documentary194711 mins Location: Dover
Dover gets a makeover in this offbeat and pointed public information film.
HedgingHedging
Documentary19429 mins Location: Moulton
Is your hedge thin and straggly? Don't worry, help is at hand
Fair RentFair Rent
Documentary194711 mins Location: Aberdeen
Power cuts, housing shortages and exorbitant rents – Aberdeen man Norrie Williamson goes head to head with his greedy landlady
Frida Kahlo & Tina ModottiFrida Kahlo & Tina Modotti
Animation & Artists Moving Image198330 mins
Immerse yourself in the work of Frida Kahlo and Tina Modotti - icons of the Mexican Renaissance.
An Exchange for Fire: Sacrifice (Film London Jarman Award 2012)An Exchange for Fire: Sacrifice (Film London Jarman Award 2012)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20123 mins
Anja Kirschner and David Panos investigate the financial crisis from its European epicentre - Greece.
An Exchange for Fire: Non-Citizens (Film London Jarman Award 2012)An Exchange for Fire: Non-Citizens (Film London Jarman Award 2012)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20123 mins
The global financial crisis viewed through the prism of modern Greece.
An Exchange for Fire: Debt (Film London Jarman Award 2012)An Exchange for Fire: Debt (Film London Jarman Award 2012)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20133 mins
The concluding episode in Anja Kirschner and David Panos' series of films on the Greek financial crisis.
The Necromancers (Film London Jarman Award 2010)The Necromancers (Film London Jarman Award 2010)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20103 mins
Theatre director Steve Pearl talks about his chance meetings with a female ventriloquist.
The Paramnesiac (Film London Jarman Award 2010)The Paramnesiac (Film London Jarman Award 2010)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20104 mins
The instability of memory comes to the fore when artist Lindsay Seers' step-sister Christine is involved in a moped accident which severely damages her memory.
Serios/Seers (Film London Jarman Award 2010)Serios/Seers (Film London Jarman Award 2010)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20103 mins
Writer M. Anthony Penwill, an occult photography expert, recalls how his meeting with Ted Serios led him to encounter the artist Lindsay Seers.
Carlyle's Hands 1 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)Carlyle's Hands 1 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20113 mins
Eitienne, a neuroscientist who is working around ideas of self awareness, is haunted by his patient, who he calls 'Marathon Man' a man who cannot move his own body unless he sees it.
Carlyle's Hands 2 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)Carlyle's Hands 2 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20113 mins
In the second in the series of Emily Wardill films, Eitienne the neuroscientist meets Georgia, a woman with whom he is able to connect and they fall in love.
Carlyle's Hands 3 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)Carlyle's Hands 3 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20113 mins
Eitienne's dates with different women explore proprioception through a contemporary situation.
FootstepsFootsteps
Animation & Artists Moving Image19746 mins
Actor and cameraman engage in a game of ‘grandmother’s footsteps’ in a playfully delightful film.
Carlyle's Hands 4 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)Carlyle's Hands 4 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20113 mins
Eitienne the neuroscientist delivers a lecture to students that explores ideas of self-awareness.
Carlyle's Hands 5 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)Carlyle's Hands 5 (Film London Jarman Award 2011)
Animation & Artists Moving Image20113 mins
An overworked neuroscientist is encouraged to begin online dating.
Real TimeReal Time
Animation & Artists Moving Image197133 mins
As she recollects her childhood, the filmmaker reflects on time, family and ageing.
Muybridge FilmMuybridge Film
Animation & Artists Moving Image19754 minsSilent
Anne Rees-Mogg pays tribute to Muybridge’s studies of human motion with this portrait of filmmaker Renny Croft.
FociiFocii
Animation & Artists Moving Image19759 minsSilent
A female dancer performs in front of what appears to be a wall of mirrors until her reflection takes on a life of its own.
Guerillere TalksGuerillere Talks
Documentary197824 mins
Six film portraits of women associated with the punk music scene in 1970s New York.
Tea LeafTea Leaf
Documentary19888 mins
An intimate account of frustration and disarray in 1980s Britain from the point of view of a young woman.
Exhibition (Q&A)Exhibition (Q&A)
Inside Film201314 mins
Director Joanna Hogg and ex-Slits guitarist Viv Albertine discuss their experiences filming Exhibition
The London StoryThe London Story
Musical198616 mins Location: Waterloo Sta
Sally Potter's lively dance film about spies and government intrigue.
Near HomeNear Home
Government sponsored film194924 mins Location: Bishop Auckland
A rare outing for a 1945 drama documentary on local studies education in Bishop Auckland by one of Britain's pioneering women directors.
Plan to Work OnPlan to Work On
Documentary194833 mins Location: Dunfermline
Kay Mander's film about the planning for Dunfermline’s post-war reconstruction is a fascinating record of the idealism of mid-20th-century town planning.
Quiet MorningQuiet Morning
School programme and Educational film195511 mins Location: Finchley
Everyday family life in suburban North London - as seen by folk learning English in the 1950s.
The Christmas VisitorThe Christmas Visitor
Animation & Artists Moving Image19587 mins
The Night Before Christmas meets Toy Story in this charming British cartoon from 1958.
Cycling Proficiency Scheme: Father and SonCycling Proficiency Scheme: Father and Son
Advert19591 mins
"Dad... I want a bike!” Fun animated campaign aimed at 50s parents and their over-eager offspring.
Carnival in the Clothes CupboardCarnival in the Clothes Cupboard
Advert19416 mins
A cartoon fantasy brings fabric patterns to life in a literal soap opera - yet even here the reality of Home Front life creeps in
Charley's Black MagicCharley's Black Magic
Animation & Artists Moving Image19499 mins
Cartoon propaganda short sweetens the pill of post-war coal prices by promising jam tomorrow
Cold ComfortCold Comfort
Animation & Artists Moving Image19441 mins
A dancing radio stops partying to transmit an announcement on fuel conservation in this WWII cartoon short
Once We Were FourOnce We Were Four
Documentary19429 mins
Innocent bunnies face an onslaught of badgers, bombs and birds of prey in this black comedy masquerading as a nature film.
4 and 20 Fit Girls4 and 20 Fit Girls
194011 minsSilent
Flock to your local keep fit class - there's a war on and Britain needs its citizens in tip-top shape.
Nursery IslandNursery Island
Documentary193618 mins Location: Farne Islands
The birdlife of Northumberland's Farne Islands comes under the spotlight in this pioneering documentary from the Secrets of Life nature series.
Wisdom of the WildWisdom of the Wild
Documentary194012 mins
Fun mixture of natural history and wartime public information.
London PigeonLondon Pigeon
Documentary19409 mins Location: Westminster
Urban nature explored in this wonderful short film looking at the lives, habits and habitats of London’s pigeon population.
Market TownMarket Town
Travelogue194210 mins Location: Newark-on-Trent
Rise and shine! Newark market calls with a seductive array of produce.
Mrs. T. And Her Cabbage PatchMrs. T. And Her Cabbage Patch
Public Information Filler194112 mins
Poetic tribute to Mrs Turner's vegetable growing prowess, plus the delights of "wartime steaks"
Civilian FrontCivilian Front
War194010 mins
It's all action on the home front with civilians on high alert to support the war effort.
Double ThreadDouble Thread
Documentary194333 mins Location: Guildford
The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds (1940s-style) at a nursery in Guildford.
The Way We LiveThe Way We Live
War194664 mins Location: Plymouth
This stylish film shows the cramped life of one family in post-war Plymouth, and expands on the contentious plans for the city's rebuilding.
Out of ChaosOut of Chaos
Documentary194427 mins Location: Trafalgar Square
"Why in the height of a world war, should there be this terrific interest in painting?"
Never Go with StrangersNever Go with Strangers
Documentary197118 mins
Is this the scariest public information film ever? This hard-hitting warning against 'stranger danger' was considered too distressing to be broadcast on television.
TogetherTogether
Animation & Artists Moving Image195648 minsDirector: Lorenza Mazzetti
Two deaf-mute dock workers eke out a humble East End existence in Lorenza Mazzetti's striking and poetic example of Free Cinema.