1968 saw a spirit of both optimism and chaos, as a whole generation questioned the values of their parents and unrest flared up in cities across the world. This month, a series of special events and screenings will be taking place across the UK – an opportunity to connect the dots between then and now, and to reflect on film’s relationship with social change.

“Be realistic: demand the impossible!”
May ’68 slogan

Fifty years ago, in May 1968, anti-establishment protests brought France to a standstill. At the same time, anti-Vietnam protests, the civil rights movement, decolonisation struggles and the sexual revolution raged across the world. Cameras captured events on the streets as they unfolded. European auteurs like Godard and Pasolini made challenging, mischievous films that attacked bourgeois values. African and Latin American filmmakers rejected colonial power and tradition, and generated bold new cinematic styles. The provocative and innovative films in this season are smart and earnest, yet often very playful and occasionally a little bonkers. More than anything, they demonstrate the ability of film to challenge the way we think and live our lives. They show us the power cinema has to change the world.