Best movies like Secrets of British Animation

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Secrets of British Animation Starring Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Walter R. Booth, Jez Stewart, and more. If you liked Secrets of British Animation then you may also like: Uneasy Terms, War Story, The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee, Journey Into Spring, Journey Together and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

BBC Four’s new documentary takes us on a journey through more than a century of animation. It examines the creative and technical inventiveness of some of the great animation pioneers who have worked in Britain – trailblazing talents such as Len Lye, John Halas and Joy Batchelor, Joanna Quinn, and Bristol’s world-conquering Aardman Animations.

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Uneasy Terms

Private eye Slim Callaghan is summoned to the country home of a Colonel Stenhurst, but the latter is murdered before he can talk to the detective. Was one of the Colonel's three daughters responsible?

War Story

This claymation short film uses a real interview for dialogue. Bill Perry relates stories about his youth, his tilted house, and adventures during WWII in Bristol, England during the blitz.

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee

An intimate portrait of Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee, tracing his remarkable ascent from a young Boston boy stricken with polio to the one of the most pioneering and consequential journalistic figures of the 20th century.

Journey Into Spring

Journey into Spring is a 1958 British short documentary film directed by Ralph Keene, and made by British Transport Films. The film -- partly a tribute to the work of the pioneering naturalist and ornithologist Gilbert White (1720-1793), author of The Natural History of Selborne -- features a commentary by the poet Laurie Lee, and camerawork by the wildlife cinematographer Patrick Carey. The journey suggested by the title is through time rather than space. In fact, two such journeys are made: the first back to the eighteenth century to pay tribute to the work of White, and the second studies the changing natural landscape near White's home town of Selborne in Hampshire between a typical March and May. It was nominated for two Academy Awards -- one for Best Documentary Short, and the other for Best Live Action Short.

Journey Together

Two Englishmen (Richard Attenborough, Jack Watling) train with the Royal Air Force, ending with a bombing raid on Berlin.

Affairs of the Art

Look out: Beryl's back. With Affairs of the Art, British animator Joanna Quinn recounts another gloriously unhinged chapter in the adventures of Beryl, the comic everywoman she unleashed upon the world with her debut film, Girls' Night Out, which took home three major awards from Annecy in 1987.

Animal Farm

A successful farmyard revolution by the resident animals vs. the farmer goes horribly wrong when corrupt pigs hijack it for their personal gain. Based on the socialist George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm”, a critique of Stalinist authoritarianism.

Clapboard Jungle

Following five years in the life and career of independent filmmaker Justin McConnell, this documentary explores the struggles of financing, attracting the right talent, working with practical effects and selling the finished product in the hope of turning a profit. Featuring interviews with a range of industry luminaries, not only are technical aspects and interpersonal skills discussed but also the emotional stamina and little-known tips needed to survive in the low budget film industry.

Fanny Lye Deliver'd

On an isolated English farm in 1657, Fanny lives a quiet life with her oppressive husband John and their young son. One day their life is rocked with the arrival of young couple Thomas and Rebecca who claim to have been robbed and need a place to stay. But are these strangers really who they say they are?

God Grew Tired of Us

Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.

Legacy

A portrayal of the early Latter-day Saints' joys, sacrifices, hopes, and trials; their epic journey to the Salt Lake Valley; and their legacy of faith in Jesus Christ.

Clarissa & the King's Cookbook

Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest known cookbook, The Forme of Cury. This 700-year-old scroll was written during the reign of King Richard II from recipes created by the king's master chefs. How did this ancient manuscript influence the way people eat today? On her culinary journey through medieval history she reawakens recipes that have lain dormant for centuries and discovers dishes that are still prepared now.

Burning Dog

When a video game designer stumbles into a blackmail conspiracy, he clashes with contract killers, Russian mobsters, and compromised cops in a wild journey through the bizarro world of Los Angeles. Uniquely told through a first-person point of view, Burning Dog is a relentless suspense thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

The Pink Floyd Story: Which One's Pink?

Forty years after Britain's foremost 'underground' band released their debut album, 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', Pink Floyd remain one of the biggest brand names and best-loved bands in the world. This film features extended archive footage alongside original interviews with David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, and traces the journey of a band that has only ever had five members, three of whom have lead the band at different stages of its evolution. BBC Program

Elgar: The Man Behind the Mask

The composer of Land of Hope and Glory is often regarded as the quintessential English gentleman. But Elgar's image of hearty nobility was deliberately contrived. In this revelatory portrait of a musical genius, John Bridcut explores the secret conflicts in Elgar's nature which produced some of Britain's greatest music. Featuring specially filmed performances by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Partners 'n Love

David Grodin has an obsessive-compulsive personality. But he is also just plain obsessed with Maxine Smith, his ex-wife of five years and his business partner. Their small business is Mr & Mrs, a small swimwear company he founded but that only became successful when she became its creative director. They work well together and are best friends, but Max feels that they just could not live together and be married to each other. They learn that because of a legal technicality, their divorce was never executed and thus they are still legally married.

Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible

Leslie Iwerks' documentary takes audiences behind the scenes at ILM with in depth interviews with some of the company's top talent and showcases never before seen footage highlighting many of their pioneering milestones. From creating the first ever computer generated character in a feature film to the latest advancements in visual effects for film franchises like Transformers and Iron Man, ILM has created some of the most memorable movie moments in recent history.

A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman

Julie Walters tells the story of how Morph, Shaun the Sheep and that cheese-loving man Wallace and his dog Gromit first came to life.

Girl Friday

Glamorous actress Joanna Lumley undergoes a week's hardship on an isolated island off the coast of Madagascar. She is given a brief lesson in survival by the Royal Marines and is then deposited on the island with few provisions but a large BBC crew for company. With comic results Ms Lumley attempts to build a shelter and forage for food before succumbing to the offers of goodies from the camera crew.

Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights

Comedy icon Joanna Lumley pursues a life-long dream to track down the elusive and beautiful Northern Lights. She travels North across the Arctic Circle, up through Norway and finally to Svalbard, the most northerly permanently inhabited place on Earth, where she has to cope with temperatures approaching minus 30° C. Joanna’s journey takes her from train to boat and huskysled to snowmobile as she is pulled ever northwards and finally, in a breathtaking climax to the film, Joanna gets to see with her own eyes the spectacular beauty of the Northern Lights. As seen on ABC1.

Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor

Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor. In this landmark new BBC documentary, entomologist George McGavin takes us on a fascinating journey through a year in the life of a 400-year-old oak tree.

Paris: The Luminous Years

A storm of Modernism swept through the art worlds of the West in the early decades of the twentieth century, uprooting centuries of tradition. The epicenter of this storm was Paris, France. For an incandescent moment from 1905 to 1930, Paris was the magnetic center for radical innovation and experiment, and the Mecca for creative talents who would change the course of art throughout the Western world.

Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays

Documentary celebrating the triumph, tragedy and human comedy that was Manchester record company, Factory. Started by the late Tony Wilson, Alan Erasmus, Peter Saville and Martin Hannett in the late 1970s, it became known as the home of Joy Divsion, New Order and Happy Mondays and for creating the Hacienda club. The label pioneered Britain's independent pop culture, creating a new Manchester and blowing a shed-load of money. Includes interviews with all the main players in the Factory story.

The Joy of Winning

How to have a happier life and a better world all thanks to maths, in this witty, mind-expanding guide to the science of success with Hannah Fry. Following in the footsteps of BBC Four's award-winning maths films The Joy of Stats and The Joy of Data, this latest gleefully nerdy adventure sees mathematician Dr Hannah Fry unlock the essential strategies you'll need to get what you want - to win - more of the time. From how to bag a bargain dinner to how best to stop the kids arguing on a long car journey, maths can give you a winning strategy. And the same rules apply to the world's biggest problems - whether it's avoiding nuclear annihilation or tackling climate change.

Better Than the Original: The Joy of the Cover Version

Through ten carefully chosen cover versions that whisk us from the British Invasion to a noughties X Factor final, this film journeys over five decades to track how artists as varied as The Moody Blues, Soft Cell, Puff Daddy and Alexandra Burke have scored number 1s with their retake on someone else's song. Each of the ten classic cover versions has its own particular tale, tied not only into its musical and cultural context but also the personal testimony of the artists, producers and songwriters whose lives were changed in the process.

My Brother the Islamist

Filmmaker Robb Leech attempts to understand his stepbrother's journey from middle-class white boy in Weymouth to convicted terrorist. In 2010 Robb spent a year filming his stepbrother Rich after he turned his back on the world in which he grew up to become a fundamentalist Muslim called Salahuddin. Robb began filming with his stepbrother as he entered a strange new world where everyone talked about fighting jihad and implementing Sharia law. The result was Robb's acclaimed BBC Three documentary, My Brother the Islamist. When, in 2013, Salahuddin is convicted of preparing terrorism acts and jailed for six years, Robb is desperate to know what triggered his stepbrother, and others like him, to cross the line. Robb seeks out imam and psychologist Alyas Karmani to understand what drives young British-born men and women into radical jihadism. And he confronts Anjem Choudary, the man who converted Rich, about his role in Salahuddin's radicalisation

Forever Ealing

This is a history of the England's Ealing Film Studios, from its beginnings in 1902. It follows the studio's successes through the 1930's, World War II dramas, the well-known 'Ealing comedies' with Alec Guinness, and the BBC's television productions

Pixar 25 Magic Moments

The BBC documentary takes a look into the Pixar studios as they celebrate their 25th birthday and at the creative process involved in creating the animation classics that we love.

The Joy of Logic

A sharp, witty, mind-expanding and exuberant foray into the world of logic with Computer Scientist Dave Cliff. Following in the footsteps of the award-winning The Joy of Stats and its sequel, Tails You Win - The Science of Chance, The Joy of Logic takes viewers on a new Wingspan roller-coaster ride through philosophy, maths, science and technology all of which, under the bonnet, run on logic. Wielding the same wit and wisdom, animation and gleeful nerdery as its predecessors, this film journeys from Aristotle to Alice in Wonderland, Sci-Fi to Supercomputers to tell the fascinating story of the quest for certainty and the fundamentals of sound reasoning itself.

Britain's Greatest Invention

BBC Two takes us inside the world's biggest invention time capsule - the Science Museum vaults - and asks the nation to vote for Britain's Greatest Invention.

Richard Hammond and the Holy Grail

Exploring hundreds of years of history, Richard Hammond embarks on an entertaining travelogue examining the popular and enduring myths and legends surrounding the Holy Grail. Thought by many to be the very cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper, the Holy Grail has haunted public imagination for centuries but left many unanswered questions. Does the Grail exist or not and what exactly is it? Richard Hammond and the Holy Grail (BBC ONE) is an intriguing 5,000- mile journey to find out.

50 Years of BBC Two Comedy

Documentary charting and celebrating five decades of often groundbreaking, boundary-pushing comedy from BBC Two.

All Aboard! The Sleigh Ride

Filmed in Karasjok, Norway - 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, BBC Four rigs a traditional reindeer sleigh with a fixed camera for a magical journey across the frozen wilderness of the Arctic. Following the path of an ancient postal route, the ride captures the traditional world of the Sami people who are indigenous to northern Scandinavia and for whom reindeer herding remains a way of life. Deliberately unhurried, the rhythmic pace of the reindeer guides us along an epic two-hour trip that takes us over undulating snowy hills, through birch forests, across a frozen lake and past traditional Sami settlements.

Is It Safe To Be Gay In The UK?

Fifty years on from the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, this BBC Two documentary explores how safe it is to be gay in Britain today. With homophobic hate crime on the rise, this film takes a 360 degree look at the issue, hearing from the victims, their families and the police. What makes someone attack another person because of their sexuality? How do victims deal with these unsolicited and unprovoked assaults? And what are we doing about this in Britain in 2017?

Britain's Most Fragile Treasure

Historian Dr Janina Ramirez unlocks the secrets of a centuries-old masterpiece in glass. At 78 feet in height, the famous East Window at York Minster is the largest medieval stained-glass window in the country and it was the creative vision of a single artist - a mysterious master craftsman called John Thornton, one of the earliest named English artists. The East Window of York Minster is far more than a work of artistic genius, it is a window onto the medieval world and the medieval mind - telling us who were once were and who we still are, all preserved in the most fragile medium of all.

Abstract Cinema

Several well-known and pioneering abstract filmmakers discuss the history of non-objective cinema, the works of those that came before them and their own experiments in the field of visionary filmmaking.

The Hidden World Of Britain’s Immigrants

In this powerful film, Fergal Keane, who has reported for BBC News from all over the world, finds out what life is really like for a group of illegal immigrants struggling to survive on British streets. He asks what drew them here, follows their battles to beat the system and shows how ineffective the authorities can be in dealing with them.

Doodlin': Impressions Of Len Lye

This documentary, made seven years after the death of legendary filmmaker and kinetic artist Len Lye, tells Lye's story: from being a young boy staring at the sun, to travels around the Pacific and life in New York. It includes excerpts from many of his films, and interviews with second wife Ann and biographer Roger Horrocks. Len Lye himself is often heard, outlining his ideas of the ‘old brain’ and how Māori and Aboriginal art influenced his work. The grandeur of his ideas are only matched by their scale, with steel sculptures designed to be "at least 20 foot high".

Man of Miracles

In the sleepy town of Vine Creek, preacher and volunteer fireman Joe Cass wakes up to realize his family and community are at a breaking point. Joe decides to take control of his life and must prove his bravery when he is called to save a child trapped inside a burning building. Lost inside the inferno, a mysterious fireman helps them to safety and quickly disappears. As Joe waits for the mystery fireman to come forward, rumors circulate throughout Vine Creek that the apparition was an angel sent from above.

The Monster of Highgate Ponds

The story of three children who find themselves with a friendly monster that grows at an alarming rate.

Handcart

This is a fictional love story with the 1856 Handcart Pioneers as the backdrop. Sam Hunter, falls for a Mormon Pioneer woman, Abigail, as she is moving west. As the pioneers stop in his town of Iowa City, he pretends to desire joining the Mormon Church to show his love for Abigail. As hardships prevail, his faith is tested on their way to Zion.

Brexit: A Very British Coup?

BBC documentary charting the politics of both sides of the Brexit campaign and the resulting changes in Westminster.

The Doors - R-Evolution

Combining early TV appearances with their own music films, it illustrates how The Doors evolved from the constraints of late sixties television to a point where they had the creative input and power to shape how they were portrayed on screen. Throughout the unique charisma and talent of The Doors comes across, whether it be on a lightweight pop show or on a film created from their own imaginations, along with some of the most influential music ever made. Bonus Features: Commentary by Doors members John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek plus Bruce Botnick and Jac Holzman / Performance of "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" from the Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 / 45 minute documentary: The Doors - Breaking Through The Lens / "Love Thy Customer" - 1966 Ford training film with music by The Doors / Outtakes: Malibu U 1967.

Ruddigore

For centuries, the Murgatroyd family, the Baronets of Ruddigore, have been under a witch's curse — commit a crime every day, or die in agony. Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, the rightful heir, has run away to live as innocent peasant Robin Oakapple in the Cornish village of Rederring, sticking his brother Despard with the curse. But on the very day that "Robin" is to marry sweet, beautiful Rose Maybud, it all falls apart. Can Sir Ruthven outwit a picture gallery full of his ancestors' ghosts to save the day?

Moonage Daydream

A cinematic odyssey featuring never-before-seen footage exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

Accentuates the journey of Renaissance World Tour, from its inception, to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri. It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft. Received with extraordinary acclaim, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour created a sanctuary for freedom, and shared joy, for more than 2.7 million fans.

The Sidemen Story

The pioneering British collective of internet personalities and content creators take a look back at their journey over their first decade together.

Point Blank - The Documentary

Diving into the making of this iconic film directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin. Delve into Marvin's war experiences shaping his intense performances, Boorman's transition from BBC director to cinematic innovator, and the unique adaptation of Donald E. Westlake's novel. Discover the creative synergy between Marvin and Boorman, leading to groundbreaking narrative structures, thematic color use, and cinematic techniques. Witness the film's evolution from mixed initial reviews to a cult classic, influencing the crime genre and showcasing the power of collaboration in filmmaking.

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