Devil Dancers of Sikkim

1904, cinematography by Frank Ormiston-Smith.

1904, cinematography by Frank Ormiston-Smith.

1909, cinematography by Frank Ormiston-Smith.

"Dance or Die" is a moving documentary about a young Syrian dancer who escapes the war and finds a new life in Holland. But the ghosts of the past won't let him go. With the war and the advance of the Islamic State in Syria, the young classical dancer Ahmad Joudeh lost everything – part of his family, his home, but also the right to practice his art. However, he will use dance as a weapon against Daesh. Three words adorn the neck of Ahmad Joudeh: Dance or Die. The tattoo is a declaration of war against IS if it takes him over. (Text: arte)

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.

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

A new scientific expedition follows the King Cobra into the wild for the first time.

From dawn till dusk in the bohemian heart of London’s West End. This 1979 portrait of the people and places of Soho catches the neighbourhood towards the end of an era. There's some great footage inside an Italian delicatessen and of assorted street characters. It's a fascinating glimpse into this walled garden of cosmopolitan life on the cusp of the gentrification and commercial interests that have since broken its borders.

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.

A demonstration of sport and fitness by members of the Indian Army.

Tigers in the Himalayan foothills, filmed by famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett.

A motorist's excursion captures a world made by hand in the environs of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.

Indian elephants in action as working animals and in hunting.

Fireworks, illuminations and traditional dance all feature in a stunningly opulent royal wedding at Kundla, Gujarat.

This official travelogue of a royal tour follows the Prince on a series of regimental displays and a tiger hunt.

The future Edward VIII opens a durbar and enjoys a day at the races before inspecting the fire brigade in Calcutta.

Snapshots of colonial life around Tamil Nadu, plus a visit to the Toda tribe.

An elephantine spectacle, likely part of the celebrations for the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India.

Richly detailed record of the Prince of Wales' Indian tour.