Overview

• 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.