Tellers of Tales: The Films of Powell & Pressburger

Lauded by Martin Scorsese as “the only independent filmmakers who managed to work within the system and still get away with making truly experimental films,” Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988), the British filmmaking duo collectively referred to as The Archers, shared an artistic collaboration across 24 films between 1939 and 1972. Together, this visionary pair created “a bold, subversive, and iconoclastic cinema” (BFI), crafting films that explored the possibilities of cinematic language, the hypnotic power of color, and the psychedelia of the imagination. Those who have experienced the fever dreams of The Red Shoes (1948) and Black Narcissus (1947) or been enchanted by the folkloric romance of I Know Where I’m Going! (1945) understand the gravitational pull of their stories, often designed and shot by the same core team of dedicated artisans. This summer, these visual jewels are brought to life in our cinemas, some appearing as brand-new restorations.