Martin Scorsese presents a personal and moving look at two of British cinema’s greatest filmmakers. Powell and Pressburger created enduring classics of British cinema including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. In the words of Scorsese, their films were “grand, poetic, wise, adventurous, headstrong, enraptured by beauty, deeply romantic, and completely uncompromising”.

We learn how, from a young age, Scorsese was captivated by their films, how they helped shape his own filmmaking and how a later friendship with Michael Powell left an indelible mark on his life. Brought to life with a treasure trove of rare archival material from the personal collections of Powell, Pressburger, and Scorsese, the story is told using diaries, audio recordings, home movies, personal snapshots, and, of course, the films themselves.

There will be Open Captioned screenings on Friday 10th at 13.00 and Thursday 16th at 18.00.

Watch Powell and Pressburger’s Peeping Tom and The Edge of the World, available to rent nationwide on IFI@Home!

Notes by David O’Mahony