Locarno Film Festival to Spotlight British Postwar Cinema in 2025 Retrospective

The program, featuring over 40 films, examines British studio filmmaking from 1945-1960 and its reflections on national identity and reconstruction.

The 78th Locarno Film Festival will host a retrospective titled 'Great Expectations: British Postwar Cinema, 1945-1960,' running from August 6-16, 2025.
Curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht, the program includes films by iconic directors like David Lean and Powell and Pressburger, as well as works by lesser-known British filmmakers and American exiles affected by the anti-Communist blacklist.
The retrospective excludes fantasy, period, and war films, focusing instead on contemporary stories that explore postwar British society and identity.
Key highlights include digital restorations and rare prints provided by the BFI National Archive, celebrating its 90th anniversary, and a new companion book featuring essays by international writers.
The retrospective will travel internationally after Locarno, with screenings planned at the Cinémathèque Suisse and other locations.