Tins for India

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.

　　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.

The race is on - for the Viceroy's Cup.

The Real Story of Fake Democracy. Filmed over three years in five countries, FREEDOM FOR THE WOLF is an epic investigation into the new regime of illiberal democracy. From the young students of Hong Kong, to a rapper in post-Arab Spring Tunisia and the viral comedians of Bollywood, we discover how people from every corner of the globe are fighting the same struggle. They are fighting against elected leaders who trample on human rights, minorities, and their political opponents.

A sex columnist gains popularity even while a ban on comprehensive sex education in schools is adopted by approximately a third of India’s states.

A state welcome for a Handley Page aircraft arriving in Kolkata.

The Duke rides an elephant as he ventures on safari in Bengal.

Armoured elephants, sacred monkeys and a camel carriage from Rajasthan.

The timber trade calls on animal help.

Lady Pamela Lytton, wife of the Governor of Bengal, visits the grand marble Victoria Memorial in Calcutta.

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

The future Edward VIII enjoys a stately procession and visits the Taj Mahal before meeting senior Indian royalty.

The future Edward VIII visits his Empire, with Indian royalty, elephants, palaces and temples.

The future Edward VIII enjoys receptions, playing polo and hunting tigers on his royal tour.

The future Edward VIII enjoys stunning mountain scenery on a visit to the Khyber Pass during his royal tour

A doctor and party visit the villages of eastern Manipur in India's far north east.

Hear the Lama band, see the sacred dances: welcome to Sikkim, in the shadow of the Himalayas.

The Taj Mahal and shots of Jalandhar nestle between footage from Canada and Africa.

The Governor of Bengal and family - on and off duty.

Documentary on the construction of Chandigarh, the new capital of the Indian Punjab region, planned by Albert Mayer and Swiss architect Le Corbusier.