The British Film Institute has announced that it will add four titles to its Blu-ray and DVD catalog between January and February 2014: J.B.L. Noel's
The Epic of Everest (1924), John Akomfrah's
The Stuart Hall Project (2013), Claude Sautet's
Classe tous risques (1960), and
The British Transport Films Collection Volume 12: The Driving Force.
The Epic of Everest
Silent documentary following the 1924 British Mount Everest Expedition during which mountaineers Andrew Irvine and George Mallory met their untimely deaths. The expedition marked the third attempt to make the first ascent of the mountain. It remains under debate whether Irvine and Mallory made it to the summit but they were last seen 800 feet from the top before they disappeared. Mallory's body was discovered in 1999 but Irvine's has never been found. The film was recorded by Captain J.B.L. Noel and captures the progress of the expedition. With a newly commissioned score composed, orchestrated and conducted by Simon Fisher Turner (
The Great White Silence) featuring a haunting combination of electronic music, found sounds, western and Nepalese instruments and vocals. Released in a Dual Format Edition on January 20th.
Classe tous risques
Lino Ventura and Jean-Paul Belmondo star in this early 1960s French Italian crime drama adapted from the novel by José Giovanni. Abel Davos (Ventura), a gangster wanted for murder, has been hiding out in Italy for the last decade. After getting married and having children he feels ready to return to his native France but making it back home proves difficult. He ends up getting separated from his wife and finds himself on the run from the police with his two sons. After calling in a favour, however, he is assisted by fellow gangster Eric Stark (Belmondo) who tries to help them complete their journey without getting caught. Released in a Dual Format Edition on February 24th.
The Stuart Hall Project
The Stuart Hall Project (2013), the provocative and inspiring documentary from director John Akomfrah about one of Britain's most influential cultural theorists and political thinkers of the post-war period will be released on DVD on January 20th.
The British Transport Films Collection Volume 12: The Driving Force
The next collection of films in our best-selling BTF series focuses on the improvements, developments and new services offered by British Transport in the post-war period. The double-disc set is released on February 24th.