Using period cinema to teach 1914 context

Contributed by Thomas Humphrey, British Film Institute

On the 1 August 2014, visiting cinemas across the UK, the BFI National Archive will release a collection of films from 1914 which will recreate for audiences what a trip to the cinema would have been like 100 years ago.  From aeroplane stunts to original footage of the Suffragettes, this collection of films will present an interesting glimpse of everyday life in 1914 and Europe’s descent into the First World War. A Night at the Cinema in 1914 - Daisy Doodad's Dial

(Film still from Daisy Doodad’s Dial, courtesy of the BFI.)

The 1914 “Night at the Cinema” – detailed in the attached PDF – offers a great chance for teachers and students to experience the kind of entertainment and information available to Britons at the time, and may serve as a useful prompt for subsequent teaching. For more information on dates and venues, please visit the BFI website.

Full list of films – A Night at the Cinema in 1914

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