The Way to the West

An astonishing English tourist’s view of street life in pre-partition Srinagar and Kashmir.

A Day in TOKYO in 1968, Nostalgic bygone era. Planned by Japan National Tourism Organization. Produced by Koga Production. This film was produced to explain Tokyo for foreign tourists.

The Maharajah of Kapurthala and guests travel on elephants and men catch fish on the River Bias.

　　Originally created as an installation for the third Shenzhen Independent Animation Biennale this film is a gripping diary and travelogue of a trip the filmmaker made through India. She tries to grasp India’s love and thoughts, the sentiments and everyday conditions and the experience of disease and death.

As travelogues go this one doesn't quite cut it – good job Lanry household bleach can!

A nature lover's paradise lays in wait for a mother and daughter enjoying a day's excursion on the North York Moors.

A fun tour of 1950s West End with international film star Yoko Tani.

An epic ramble from Winchester to Canterbury, through Hampshire, Surrey and Kent with picnics, pints and much prettiness on the way.

York, Harrogate, and Whitby are the essential stops-offs in this picturesque travel companion

A travel documentary following writer Sigfrid Siwertz and photographer Gustaf Boge's trip to Sumatra.

Much-loved actress, comedian and writer Mel Giedroyc heads to Dorset on a travel adventure with a twist. Inspired by her passion for books, Mel hooks up with her friend and Dorset local, Martin Clunes, to explore the spectacular scenery and iconic locations made famous by some of Britain's favourite books and films.

Tourist promo film extolling the delights of Birmingham and the Midlands, with a sprinkling of arch one-liners.

Original archive catalogue record indicates "maybe be taken from the 1909 film From Portofino to Nervi" but the festival notes indicate the Pasquali & Co intertitles so date unknown. Fragmentary footage of the Ligurian coast between Nervi and Portofino, beginning with two women on a terrace and moving through sites on the Riviera di Levante. A sequence shows Recco, devastated by WWII bombing, with a clear view of the railway viaduct. In Nervi, we see the port, Anita Garibaldi promenade, and Gropallo Tower, followed by nitrate-damaged scenes including Bogliasco bridge, a painter on the cliffs, and farmers loading hay. The film ends with a sunset over the sea. Produced by Pasquali & Co. this print features English intertitles and was part of the Dawson City nitrate find in 1978. A duplicate negative and this print were made in 1980.

In the last week of May, the whole of India prays for the onset of the monsoon. Without its life-giving rains, the nation would become a land of dry wells and deserts. Writer Alexander Frater awaits the 'burst' at the southernmost tip of India, then travels with it on its dramatic journey north, witnessing the monsoon's towering influence on every aspect of Indian life.

Roving foodies Angela May and Bobby Chinn embark on two culinary journeys across Asia. Angela travels to the western coast of India to sample the cuisine and culture of the thriving melting pot that is Goa. Meanwhile, Bobby travels to Manila where he discovers a passionate and humorous people, and their love of food.

When Tomoko finds some messages for a 'Mr Smith' on a lost mobile phone, she finds herself on an 'Alice in Wonderland' journey through Tokyo's boulevards and back alleys. From the tyranny of symmetry in soaring office blocks - to buildings that look like space-ships, this creative documentary shows us the city's soul.

The reception ebbs and flows as the unfamiliar landscape whirls by the window of a plane or train or car. Communication is delayed, fragmented, interrupted. Memories of a distant country.

This documentary visits the towns and villages of the Alsace region of France at Christmastime. See the charmingly decorated storybook towns and learn of the unique holiday traditions and celebrations. The Alsatian landscape is covered with medieval towns, castle ruins and vineyards, and the communities of the region create a season of enchantment in their celebration of Christmas.

As part of the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture, the British Council and British Film Institute share a unique collection of films documenting the sights and culture of a bygone India. Filmed between 1899-1947, and preserved in the BFI National Archive since then, these rare films capture many glimpses of life in India, from dances and markets, to hunts and pageantry.

Early film of a crowded street scene in an unidentified Indian city.