For the first time ever, the BFI is collecting together all of Humphrey Jennings' remarkable films, including his wartime masterpieces
Listen to Britain, Fires Were Started and
A Diary for Timothy, newly remastering them to High Definition and releasing them across three volumes. Each volume will be a Dual Format Edition and will include essential special features, including alternative versions and collaborative works.
The Complete Humphrey Jennings - Volume One: The First Days is out on 19 September.
Humphrey Jennings (1907-1950), widely considered to be one of Britain's greatest documentary filmmakers, is best known for films which beautifully evoke everyday heroism in times of war and peace. Combining poetic observation and humanism with a subtle yet intense national feeling that is also very personal, Jennings was a visionary and progressive patriot.
The First Days gathers 14 short films from the period 1934-1940 and provides a fascinating insight into Jennings' earliest days as a filmmaker, learning and developing his craft. It features the critically acclaimed
Spare Time (1939), a memorable portrait of the inter-war working class made for the New York World Fair in 1939, and the rousing
London Can Take It! (1940), accompanied by its alternative cut
Britain Can Take It! This, the most renowned cinematic representation of the resilient heroism of ordinary Londoners during the early days of the Blitz, features iconic images of St Paul's Cathedral, the Palace of Westminster and the royal family. There are also previously neglected works, many of which will be available for the first time since their original release.