LONDON.- Narrated and presented by Martin Scorsese and directed by two-time BAFTA- and Emmy-winning David Hinton,
Altitude announces that MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER, will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on fi0 May 2024. A personal and moving look at two of British cinema's greatest filmmakers, the film will have its world premiere at the Berlinale, Berlin International Film Festival 2024 before featuring at Dublin International and Glasgow Film Festivals.
Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When their famous logo came up on screen, Scorsese says, "You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic - real film magic."
Now, in this documentary, he tells the story of his lifelong love-affair with their movies, including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes and The Tales of Hoffmann.
"Certain films you simply run all the time and you live with them." Scorsese says. "As you grow older they grow deeper. Im not sure how it happens, but it does. For me, that body of work is a wondrous presence, a constant source of energy, and a reminder of what life and art are all about."
Drawing on a rich array of archive material, Scorsese explores in full the collaboration between the Englishman Powell and the Hungarian Pressburger - two romantics and idealists, who thrived in the face of adversity during World War II but were eventually brought low by the film industry of the 1950's.
Scorsese celebrates their ability to create "subversive commercial movies" and describes how deeply their films have influenced his own work.
Directed by David Hinton, the film is produced by Nick Varley for Ten Thousand 86 and Matthew Wells for Ice Cream Films in association with Sikelia Productions.
Martin Scorsese, Olivia Harrison and Thelma Schoonmaker are Executive Producers.
The film is financed by BBC Film, and the National Lottery through Screen Scotland. Executive Producers for BBC Film are Claudia Yusef and Eva Yates, Mark Thomas is Executive Producer for Screen Scotland, Will Clarke is Executive Producer for Altitude. Charles Cohen and Thomas Hoegh are also Executive Producers.