Exploring the Power of Film Archives
On November 28th, Chocolate Films were proud to attend and speak at the London Screen Archive Conference, an inspiring event featuring notable speakers such as artist-filmmaker Sir John Akomfrah, Film London CEO Adrian Wootton, and panels led by Dr. June Givanni and our very own director, Rachel Wang.
This year’s theme, “Undocumented,” focused on addressing the gaps in Black representation within London’s film archives—a critical topic that resonated deeply throughout the conference.
Chocolate Films: Experts in Curating Archive on Screen
Over the past eight years, Rachel Wang, Chocolate Films’ co-founder and director, has served as an advisor for the London Screen Archive (LSA). Drawing on this expertise, Chocolate Films brings archive footage to life through three core approaches:
1. Curation
We carefully design and compile films into cohesive collections, ensuring they captivate audiences while preserving the integrity of the stories they tell.
2. Exhibition
Through engaging exhibitions, we connect communities with archive content, sparking dialogue and shared understanding.
3. Documentary Filmmaking
By incorporating archive footage into our documentaries, we create rich, layered narratives that provide a historical backdrop to contemporary stories.
Celebrating Archive in Action: The 1000 Londoners Project
A project which has been supported by LSA is one of our flagship projects, 1000 Londoners, exemplifies our commitment to celebrating diversity through archival storytelling. This ongoing series highlights the lives of 1,000 individuals, who consider themselves to be Londoners, taking in all ages, religions, race, income, interests and opinions.
We’re thrilled to announce that 1000 Londoners will relaunch in 2025, continuing its mission to amplify underrepresented voices.
Among the standout collections is the Windrush series, which seamlessly weaves archive footage into moving narratives about heritage and resilience.
Highlights from the Conference
Sir John Akomfrah: Redefining Representation
Sir John Akomfrah: Redefining RepresentationA key moment was Sir John Akomfrah’s fireside chat with Adrian Wootton. Speaking in depth about the absence of black people in archive footage, John Akomfrah spoke about his incredible investigative work looking into what’s outside of the frame to tell the stories of black Londoners. Akomfrah looks to find the “accidental” and where Black people are present, just in the background.
Dr. June Givanni: Bridging Archival Gaps
Dr. June Givanni: Bridging Archival GapsDr June Giovanni hosted a thought provoking panel on “Why there is a lack of Black home movies in our UK film archives”. June is a pioneering international film curator, with the development of the Pan African Cinema Archive being largely due to her collections from years of working in the field of cinema.
Creating New Narratives
Creating New NarrativesOur Director, Rachel Wang chaired an insightful panel on “How to Create Powerful New Narratives Using Film Archive Material.” Panelists included academic and curator Dr. Mykaell Riley, Delfeene Lievens from T A P E Collective, and filmmakers Y.V. Shells and Hannah Oliver.
Delfeene spoke about their important mission at T A P E collective and how they bring archive footage to life. .
Sharing a mutual project with both Mykaell Riley and Y’V Shells and Hannah Oliver, being The British Libraries “Beyond the Baseline” we spoke about it being the first major exhibition to document the 500-year musical journey of African and Caribbean people in Britain.
Mykaell shared insight into the thoughtful placement of archive throughout this exhibition, Y.V Shells and Hannah Oliver spoke about the key messages from their film which was exhibited, and Rachel spoke about Chocolate Films extensive workshop collaboration with The British Library for Beyond the Baseline.
Looking Ahead
At Chocolate Films, we are passionate about the power of archives to inform, inspire, and reimagine the stories of underrepresented communities. The London Screen Archive Conference affirmed the vital role of collaboration in this mission, and we look forward to continuing to contribute through projects like 1000 Londoners and beyond.
Ready to Bring Your Archive to Life?
Whether curating historical footage or creating compelling documentaries, Chocolate Films is here to help. Contact us today to discuss your next project.
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