Interview #5: The voices of British Film (BFI)2 min read

One of The British Film Institute (BFI)’s main buildings, BFI Southbank offered us a range of facilities with opportunities to explore the world of cinema.

This time, focusing on the BFI’s two amazing services, the national archives and the educational/youth programs, I interviewed the BFI education team’s Mark Reid.

The BFI National Archive, which contains more than 50,000 fiction films, over 100,000 non-fiction titles and around 625,000 television programs. One of the oldest fictions was born in 1896.

Based on their idea that every film released in the world are part of important heritage, they don’t just collect films from donors, but make sustainable copies of them.

Especially through digitisation, they enable us to watch the crucial past works in various ways, from the BFI’s on-demand video service, BFI Player to the BFI Mediatheque, various booths equipped with a great screen and audio instruments.

One of reasons why the BFI has such a strong responsibility to make the past works available is they think these will be great feature references.

The BFI always dedicates itself to the future development of the film industry. Indeed, it provides various learning programs for not only kids and youngers but also school teachers.

I asked Mark some questions to know how young people can benefit and take away as much from the BFI’s services as possible.

For young film makers and children, is it valuable to get in touch with the past works?

“We hope our archives can be great materials for youngers to learn cinema history and heritage. For them, the default of cinema is made by American animated/contemporary cinema, especially Disney’s form; having colour, exciting story and American voices.

“As a counterpoint of these, we are thinking nonfiction, short film, etc. can develop young people’s wide and various appreciation/understanding of cinema.”

What is an effective way of using the past works in the educational programmes?

“It is common to organise a special educational program relating to newly released movies. For example, we digitised the first film version of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ directed by Cecil Hepworth (1903) on YouTube when Tim Burton’s Alice came out.

“We also offered a week program called ‘Mad Hatter’s Film School’ at the time, showing all of the different version of Alice in film history.”

Because Southbank is an area full of cultural facilities, do you have a collaboration program with the other arts?

“We run a Cultural Campus with the National Theatre, Rambert Dance & the Southbank Center since 2009, in which local students and a range of artists from choreographers to composers work together on a big art project.”

All of the BFI’s services, especially around the young program and the archive, directly reflect on the BFI’s strong prospect for the future of the Film industry. By visiting the BFI Southbank, registering to the BFI Player and other services we can maximise such various and crucial cinematic experiences.

It might help you to grow a plentiful appreciation of the arts.