What makes a ‘British film’ British?

We refer to ‘World Cinema’ all the time and feel confident discussing cinema from other nationalities, such as French or German cinema. Is that because they are in French or German? Why is there such debate about what makes a ‘British’ film British? If you type this question into an Internet search engine you will see the flurry of excitement it causes!

Consider these questions and form your own opinion. Remember to back it up with examples of films. Does a film become a ‘British Film’ when:

The Director is British?
They use British accents?
They use British locations?
The money (or the majority of it ) is funded from Britain?
They use British actors?
They use a British source text?
The writer is British?
The Producer is British?
Most of the technical staff are British?
It is filmed in a British studio, such as Pinewood?
Or all or some of the above?
Does it really matter anyway?

Whatever you decide and whether it matters or not, this is a question that continually occurs when looking at British film and one you need to have considered.

A further thought: what is the status of British Cinema. Is it considered a poor relation of Hollywood, or does it have the arty cache of French cinema? Does British cinema particularly specialise in anything? Is British Cinema particularly bad at anything?

Miss Hurdley