BBC Films
2) Judy
Description
Thirty years after rising to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town. While preparing for the shows, Garland battles with management, reminisces with friends and adoring fans, and embarks on a whirlwind romance with soon-to-be fifth husband Mickey Deans, all while bravely struggling to overcome intensifying anxiety and physical decline.
Description
Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann, starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt's famous painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg, she embarks upon a major battle which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court.
4) Ratcatcher
Description
In her breathtaking and assured debut feature, Lynne Ramsay creates a haunting evocation of a troubled Glasgow childhood. Set during Scotland's national garbage strike of the mid-1970s, Ratcatcher explores the experiences of a poor adolescent boy as he struggles to reconcile his dreams and his guilt with the abjection that surrounds him. Utilizing beautiful, elusive imagery, candid performances, and unexpected humor, Ramsay deftly contrasts urban...
5) The duchess
Description
Chronicles the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life. She was a vibrant beauty and celebrity of her time. Georgiana is trapped in an unhappy marital triangle with her husband and his live-in mistress. She falls passionately in love with Earl Grey, an ambitious young politician, and the affair causes a bitter conflict with her husband and threatens to erupt...
6) Philomena
Description
Judi Dench stars in the story of Philomena Lee, mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock and given up for adoption. Nearly 50 years later, Philomena meets Martin Sixsmith, a former BBC reporter looking for his next big story. Together, they embark on a journey to locate her long lost son. As the pieces of the puzzle come together, the unlikely travel companions form a comic and heartwarming friendship. Based on the 2009 investigative book by Martin...
7) Easy virtue
Description
John Whittaker is a young Englishman who falls madly in love with Larita, a sexy, glamorous American woman. The two impulsively decide to get married. He takes her home to meet his family, she arrives like a blast from the future. John's mother takes an instant disliking to Lairta and undermines her every move. But Larita will blow their entrenched British stuffiness right out the window.
8) Small axe
Description
Five original films, set between 1969 and 1982, celebrate the courage and solidarity of London's West Indian community. From a group of activists taking on a seemingly hopeless battle against police persecution, to a teenager experiencing a blues party full of dance, danger and romance, they're a powerful reminder of how brave individuals can spark change.
Formats
Description
Marking the centenary of the First World War, internationally renowned director Peter Jackson uses the voices of the veterans combined with original archival footage to bring to life the reality of war on the front line for a whole new generation. Footage has been colorized and transformed with modern production techniques to present never-before-seen detail.
10) Pride
Description
U.K. gay activists work to assist miners during their extended strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.
Description
Peter Sellers was one of the most gifted British comic actors of his time, perfectly moving from costume to costume and accent to accent in a series of films that ranged from brilliant to awful. Despite his brilliance as an actor, Sellers led a deeply disturbing personal life. The actor is best remembered as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies. Despite his Hollywood success, Peter Sellers' comic virtuosity belied a troubled private life....