A collection of rare and previously unseen historical footage of coastal life in the South East, including the Isle of Wight, has been made available for all to view on BFI Player as part of BFI’s Britain on Film: Coast and Sea national project.
Local highlights of the collection, that includes 600 films spanning 100 years, covers subjects including lifeboat launches, leisure time and the construction of local landmarks. All of the videos can be accessed via an interactive map.
Filmed by professional filmmakers and amateur hobbyists alike, these fascinating glimpses into the past (many of which have never been available before) have been sourced and curated by the BFI National Archive along with regional and national film archives across the UK, including the Screen Archive South East, to offer the public the opportunity to witness past generations’ relationships with coastal Britain.
Robin Baker, Head Curator, BFI National Archive said:
“Britain on Film has been a transformative project for the BFI and our partner archives. It has demonstrated that millions of people across the UK want to engage with their film heritage.
“Comprising over a century of filmmaking, Britain on Film has highlighted some of the lesser known films from our collections, some of which not even curators had seen before, and provided them with audiences that are often bigger than on their first release. There are over 600 newly added films, contextualised by curators, exploring lives led and holidays enjoyed around the UK coast. As such there are now even greater opportunities for people to while away hours watching and making discoveries about British film heritage”.
Further information on the national Britain on Film: Coast and Sea can be found here.
