six from the 60s

The 1960s saw a turn in the tide for British filmmaking. The social-realist ‘kitchen sink’ drama predominated in the late 50s and early 60s and by the mid-60s, all eyes were on London – the swinging capital of the world – where radical changes to social and sexual politics were fanned by a rebellious modern youth.

Britain was undergoing a cultural revolution – symbolised by its pop and fashion exports, like Beatlemania and the miniskirt; the political activism of anti-nuclear campaigns; and sexual liberation.

This gave birth to a more mischievous, spirited cinema, one full of expression, vivacity and comedy reflected here in our selection of six British films from the 60s, which represent the best of this era.