Words, Sounds & Pictures

Ever since Captain Cook saw it loom out of the mist, Antarctica has captured the imaginations of explorers, writers, scientists and artists - whether they have visited the great southern continent or not.

Writer Francis Spufford explains how Antarctica has acted as a vast blank canvas for science fiction authors to unload their most outlandish imaginings.

Musicians discuss the importance of klezmer as the soundtrack to Jewish weddings.

Musicians discuss the particular notes and scales used to make the sound of klezma music.

Tom Vincent explains the influences behind Widescreen Cinema and how formats like Cinemascope came about after the success of Cinerama.

Robert Headland of the Scott Polar Research Institute explains how different nations used stamps of Antarctica to stake their territorial claims.

Writer and Broadcaster Matthew Sweet talks about ‘the event’ of going to see a Hollywood Epic in the 1950s. It wasn’t always the standard cinema trip after all.

Historian and Writer Christopher Frayling explains the Biblical elements found within the Hollywood Epic.

Dr Sheldon Hall explains the infamous Hollywood Epic Roadshow.

Maria Wyke explains the elaborate processes which Hollywood Studios did for the release of one of their major Epic films.

With the release of The Robe in 1953, cinema audiences had got a taste of CinemaScope, a new way of Widescreen Cinema established by Hollywood Studio 20th Century Fox. Seeing this new type of Cinema format available, other Hollywood Studios took on the challenge to introduce their very own Widescreen Formats. Film Archivist Tom Vincent explains what happened next with the release of CinemaScope and what kind of different formats the other Hollywood Studios introduced.

Children of the first Jewish immigrants explain their parents' disinterest in klezmer.

Quentin Thomas (president of the BBFC) discusses how the BBFC judge public opinion and how they make changes to the BBFC’s policies.

David Cooke (director of the BBFC) talks about how decisions are made by the British Board of Film Classification.

Paul Kaye and Klezmer Kollectiv perform their version of 'Reviewing The Situation'.

Quentin Thomas (president of the BBFC) talks about the difference between the BBFC’s 'censorship' and 'classification' status.

Quentin Thomas (president of the BBFC) talks about how important the BBFC guidelines are and how they are very helpful for examiners and filmmakers.

Quentin Thomas (president of the BBFC) discusses the way in which the BBFC has had to change over the course of the last 100 years.

David talks about who the current BBFC examiners are and how they are selected for such a job.

David Cooke (director of the BBFC) talks about how important the BBFC and classification is when it comes to the future of mass media including online.

Guy shows Nigel the secret codes and mysterious messages on the back of Edwardian postcards.

Nigel Walmsley gets a letter inviting him to give an after dinner talk on the picture postcard. Has the Rowland Hill Retired Men's Club made a dreadful mistake?

Nigel encounters postcard collector Michael Winner. There will only be one winner...

David Cooke talks about the question of 'art' in film and the possible issues the BBFC might have with such a topic.