Preserving and promoting Britain's colour film heritage

Research highlights:

• Pioneered restoration efforts 
• Influenced revaluation of pivotal British colour films 
• Fostered international collaboration on colour film preservation

Research led by Professor Sarah Street of the Department of Film and Television has significantly advanced understanding of the preservation and appreciation of colour films within the UK’s cinematic history.  

Her work has helped to restore essential films, driven engagement with colour film heritage and helped to preserve historical techniques for future generations. 

Reviving Britain’s colour film legacy 

One of Professor Street's most significant early contributions to the field was her 2012 monograph, Colour Films in Britain, which highlighted This is Colour, a 1942 Technicolour short film that has a significant yet underappreciated place in British film history.  

In response, the British Film Institute (BFI) restored this rare film and showcased it at the 2016 London Film Festival.

BFI’s Film Conservation Manager highlighted the vital role of Street’s research in enabling them to grasp the historical and technical relevance of the film.  

Establishing global dialogue 

The impact of Professor Street’s research has extended internationally. Working with Amsterdam’s Eye Filmmuseum, she co-organised a groundbreaking conference in 2015 on the urgent conservation needs of colour films, helping to establish an ongoing platform for global dialogue.  

The event also  inspired The Colour Fantastic (Amsterdam, 2018), a landmark anthology that brought together international experts to explore a diverse range of themes designed to inspire the next twenty years of research on colour in silent film.  

With its interdisciplinary approach, The Colour Fantastic explored archival restoration, colour film technology, colour theory and experimental film alongside ‘beautifully saturated images of silent cinema’.

Engaging audiences and preserving knowledge

Professor Street’s research has helped to engage audiences beyond industry-insider and academic circles.

Notably, her work encouraged StudioCanal to restore and release a Blu-ray high-definition version of Don’t Look Now.  

As part of this project Professor Street collaborated with StudioCanal on a featurette for the Blu-ray  - a piece deigned to specifically explore colour’s significance in the film for audiences.  

Crucially, as the photochemical era gives way to digital technologies, Professor Street has also recognised that traditional technical colour skills are in danger of being forgotten  

To address this, she has worked extensively with her research team to interview experts in historical colour processes and create an invaluable archive of knowledge.

These interviews are now available through the BFI and the British Entertainment History Project and have been viewed over 20,000 times, ensuring that these skills remain accessible to future generations of filmmakers and historians. 

By fostering public appreciation and preserving technical knowledge, Professor Street has ensured that the rich heritage of British colour film will have continued relevance and appeal for future generations.