What are British Films and British Cinema like?

The foundations of the British film industry, which dates back to the 19th century, were laid by the Skladanowsky brothers, who used the artistic knowledge of theatre actors and transformed them into moving images. The expressionist cinema movement, which emerged under the influence of the First World War, was influential in British cinema, and the material and moral losses caused by the war environment paved the way for symbolic expressions.

The best British films were shot in the 1920s, known as the golden age of British cinema. The anxiety and excitement experienced in the first half of the 20th century were reflected in cinema by British artists with the expressionism movement. Released in 1920, Robert Wiene’s Dr. His film The Practice of Caligari is considered one of the most important examples of expressionist British cinema.

With the devastating effects of the Second World War, British cinema began to lose its artistic value, was disrupted by the Nazis and used only as a propaganda tool, and could not make progress until the end of the 1950s. At the end of the 1950s, a trend of Homeland Films began in British cinema, which were considered low-budget and of low artistic value.

Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Wim Wenders were among the important representatives of the movement known as the New British Wave or New British Cinema, which started in 1962. Thanks to the New British Wave films, which critically reflected the chaotic political structure of West Germany, British films began to take their place in world cinema in the 70s and 80s.

Table of Contents

What are the Best British Movies?

The best British movies are listed below.

The Lives of Others
Metropolis
Sacred Duty
Knocking on Heaven’s Door
Collapse
Fitzcarraldo
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
The Sky Over Berlin
Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror
Aguirre, The Wrath of God

Old British films, which reflect the spirit of World War II and the Nazi period, are important in terms of expressing Britain’s culture and national identity.

What are the Award-Winning British Films?

British films that won awards in various categories are listed below.

The Lives of Others : The 2006 film, about East Germany in 1984, was staged in the genre of political thriller. The Lives of Others, which portrays the artists’ struggle to exist in East Germany, won the Academy, BAFTA, Bodil and Cesar awards for Best Foreign Language Film. The award-winning production was directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The film stars Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Müche and Sebastian Koch.
Nowhere in Africa : The 2001 film, which tells the story of a Jewish family who immigrated to Kenya during the Nazi period of World War II, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002. The film is directed by Caroline Link and stars Juliane Köhler and Merab Ninidze.
Victoria : Victoria, directed by Sebastian Schipper and released in the crime and thriller category, is a feature film. The film, released in 2015, stars Laia Costa, Frederick Lau and Franz Rogowski. It received the Best Narrative Film Award at the German Film Awards in 2015.
White Tape : The film, which is about how religion, authority and traditions affect children living in a town before World War I, was shot in 2009 by Michael Haneke, who is considered one of the most important directors of British cinema. The black and white film, which cinematographically interprets the factors that formed the basis of Nazi fascism, won the Palme d’Or at the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival. Christian Friedel, Ulrich Tukur and Josef Bierbichler star in the award-winning production.
Tin Trumpet : The 1979 film Volker Schlöndorff, which tells the story of a child who never grows up to avoid being included in the corrupt world of adults, won 13 important awards, such as the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Palme d’Or. The film stars David Bennent, Morio Adorf, Angela Winkler and Charles Aznavour.
Against the Wall : Against the Wall, a 2004 film that tells the story of a Turk living in Germany, was directed by Fatih Akın. The film, starring Sibel Kekilli and Birol Ünel, was awarded the Golden Bear Award at the 54th Berlin Film Festival in 2004.

What are the British War Movies?

The most famous British war films are listed below.

Sacred Duty : The film, which is about what happened to the German crew who served in World War II, is among the Germany-Polish war films. Sacred Duty, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 1981, was nominated for the Best Director award at the Academy Awards.
Collapse : The film, which tells about the last days of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, is about the fall of Berlin. The 2004 film Collapse, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 77th Academy Awards and is among the most famous German Nazi films ever shot.
The Marriage of Maria Braun : The Marriage of Maria Braun, shot by Rainer Werner Fassbinder in 1978, is about the post-war period in West Germany. The film portrays the pessimistic and chaotic atmosphere of the period in accordance with the New German Cinema movement.
The Book Thief : Directed by Brian Percival, the film is among the German-made World War II films. Sophie Nelisse, one of the leading actors of the movie, which was adapted from Markus Zusak’s novel of the same name and shot in the war and melodrama genre and released in 2013, was deemed worthy of the Shining Actress award. The Book Thief was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Soundtrack for its soundtrack.
Before the Collapse : The 2004 Dennis Gansel film, which is about how young people in Nazi Germany were raised in line with Hitler’s understanding of elitism, is among the films about the Germany-Russia war, where you can witness how young people were prepared during the war. Before the Collapse won the Best International Film and Best Director awards.

What are British Love Movies?

The most famous British romance films are listed below.

The Sky Over Berlin : A 1987 film about an angel falling in love with a mortal living in Berlin, directed by Wim Wenders. The Sky Over Berlin, which received awards at many independent film festivals, was awarded the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987.
Ali Fear Eats the Soul : The film, about a woman living alone in Germany falling in love with an Arab worker, was released in 1974. Famous German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder won the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival with his film Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.
The Princess and the Knight : The 2000 Tom Tykwer film, starring Franka Potente, Benno Fürrman and Joachim Krol, was nominated for 16 awards and won 6 awards. The Princess and the Knight was awarded the Best Film Award at the German Film Festival in 2001.
In July : In July, directed by Fatih Akın, which was shot in the genres of adventure, comedy and romance, was released in 2000. The film, which is about a journey from Germany to Turkey, received awards at numerous festivals, including the Tromsø International Film Festival Audience Award.
Against the Wall : Against the Wall, a Fatih Akın film, is a 2004 film starring Sibel Kekilli and Birol Ünel. Against the Wall, which was deemed worthy of 7 awards in the categories of Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress, won the Best Film Award at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival.

Which Globally Popular Movies Shot in Britain?

Globally popular films shot in Britain are listed below.

Notting Hill
The Harry Potter series
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
Four Weddings and a Funeral
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Skyfall
The Dark Knight Rises
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Avengers: Infinity War

What are the Best British TV Series?

The best British TV series are listed below.

4 Bloks : Aired between 2017 and 2019, 4 Bloks is a drama series directed by Marvin Kren. Kida Khodr Ramadan plays the leading role in the series, playing the character of Toni.
Deutschland ’83 : The 2015 series stars Jonas Nay, Maria Schrader, Sylvester Groth and Sonja Gerhardt. The series, directed by Edward Berger and Samira Radsi, has been published in 8 episodes.
Dark : The 2017 science fiction and thriller series is directed by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. The leading actors of the series are Louis Hoffman and Lisa Vicari.
Dogs of Berlin : The series, released on Netflix in December 2018, was directed by Christian Alvart. The leading roles in the series are Fahri Yardim and Felix Kramer.
Unorthodox : Shira Haas stars in the series, which was released in 2020 and directed by Maria Schrader.
Barbarians : The series starring Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud and David Schütter was published in 2020. The directors of the Barbarians series are Andreas Heckmann, Arne Nolting and Jan Martin Scharf.

What are the British Comedy TV Series?

British comedy series are listed below.

English for Beginners
How to Sell Drugs Online
Crime Scene Cleaner
Stromberg
Dittsche
Pastewka

What are the British TV Series Produced by Netflix?

British Netflix series are listed below.

Dark
Bihackers
How to Sell Drugs Online
The Last Word
Perfume
Dogs of Berlin
The Houseboat
We are the Wave
Holiday Secrets
Skylines

What are the Recommended TV Series for British Learners?

Recommended TV series for British learners are listed below.

Dark
Bad Banks
Babylon Berlin
Dogs of Berlin
Stromberg

Watching British TV series is a preferable method to learn the daily use and general pronunciation of the British language. Improving their British learning by watching TV series and getting an idea about Britain’s culture is preferred by many people who want to obtain a visa for language education in Britain.

Who are Britain’s Most Famous Actors and Actresses?

Britain’s most famous actors and actresses are listed below.

Michael Fassbender
Marlene Dietrich
Klaus Kinsky
Thomas Kretschmann
Diane Kruger
Franka Potente
Antje Traue
Daniel Brühl
Jürgen Prochnow
Nina Hoss
Christoph Waltz
Max Riemelt
Matthias Schweighöfer
Till Schweiger

Since the 19th century, when the British expressionism movement became popular, British actors have successfully taken part in many different productions. British celebrities, who have appeared in many Hollywood films and international productions, have contributed to the cinema industry.

Who are the Most Famous British Directors?

The most famous British directors are listed below.

Fritz Lang
Michael Haneke
Friedrich W. Murnau
Werner Herzog
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Wim Wenders
Leni Riefenstahl
Ernst Lubitsch
Douglas Circus
Volker Schlöndorff
Fatih Akın

How were British Cinema and Film Industry Established?

The first examples of British cinema to be shown regularly were made by brothers Max and Emil Skladnowsky on November 1, 1895. With the machine called “bioscope” invented by the Skladnowsky brothers, a presentation of moving images was made to a group for the first time.

In 1896, Oskar Messter, Max Gliewe and Guido Seeber created the basis of the British cinema industry by using the Geneva driver, which allowed the image to be advanced one frame at a time in the projector.

The first examples of art films, which brought British cinema to an important place in the film industry with the establishment of the first independent and private cinema, were made in 1910. With the production company UFA, founded in 1917, Britain’s film industry entered the process of nationalization and contributing to the economy.

What are the British Film Festivals?

Every year, many film festivals are held in Britain in categories such as feature films, short films and documentaries. The London International Film Festival is held every year in February in London. In 2021, 15 films were nominated for the London Film Festival Golden Bear Award, and these films included productions such as Albatros, Fabian oder Der Gang vor die Hunde, Guzen to sozo, Memory Box and Nebanan. Radu Jude won the Golden Bear Award of the 71st festival, which was held in February 2021, with his movie Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. The film that was awarded the Grand Jury Prize was Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Denes Nagy won the Best Director Award, Maren Eggert won the Best Actor Award, and Hang Sang-soo won the Best Screenplay Award with his script Introduction.

The 25th Edinburgh Turkey Britain Film Festival, held between 18 and 25 July, witnessed many successful Turkish and British productions. Awards are given in a total of 9 categories every year at the festival, and at the Edinburgh Turkey Britain Film Festival held in 2021, Genco Erkal and Senta Berger were deemed worthy of the Honorary Award. The Best Film Award at the festival was won by the movie Fabian, or Going Shit, directed by Damian Graf. The Best Actress Award was given to Alina Şerban for her role in the movie Gipsy Queen, and the Best Actor Award was given to Ali Atay for his performance in the movie Noah Tepesi. The Audience Award was given to the movie Aden/Eden, directed by Barış Atay, and the Best Director Award was given to Emin Alper for the movie Kız Kardeşler.

The British film industry, which is large enough to employ 87,500 people, includes approximately 11,200 companies, and these companies generate an average turnover of 6.8 billion Euros every year. The average production cost of a film shot in Britain varies between 3 and 5 million Euros, with an average budget. These costs can be covered if a British-made film attracts an average of 1 million viewers to the box office. The British Government provides £60 million in support for international filmmakers through the British Federal Film Fund.

The income obtained from British cinema represents an important input for the British economy. The capital, London, is the city where more revenue is generated in the film industry than any other region of Britain. In London alone, approximately 1,900 cinema distribution companies operate. London, which has a qualified talent infrastructure and financing conditions in the cinema industry, is known as the capital of cinema in Britain.

What is the connection between British Cinema and British Culture?

Britain experienced a great cultural change in the 20th century, when it was in the middle of two wars, and these changes were reflected in every branch of British art. With the understanding of reflecting all the spiritual changes brought by the expressionism movement in art, British cinema has created its own artistic value over the years, being directly nourished by its own culture.

Between the two world wars and in the subsequent periods when the sociological effects of the war continued, political depression and constant depression aroused the desire for British artists to express their feelings. The most important directors who came to the fore during Britain’s war period were Fritz Lang with his movie Metropolis and FW Murnau with his movie Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror.

Cinema, as an art form that reveals all the dynamics of a culture, is inseparable from British culture. The economic, cultural and psychological unrest experienced by Britain between the 19th and 20th centuries have been the main subject of most British cinema productions. British cinema is a direct expression of Britain’s sociological structuring since the beginning of industrialization and before.