ABSTRACT
Film policy should be considered not just as a sequence of dry government reports, but as a vital and vigorous discourse where tensions around national identity, art and commerce, and the role of film within society come to life. This makes the study and analysis of film policy essential for a full understanding of British cinema history. Many of the established narratives of British cinema history do not make sense unless the role of the state is taken into account. For example, the documentary film movement of the 1930s and 40s, which casts such a long shadow over discussions of British cinema to this day, was nurtured by state subsidy through the General Post Office and later the wartime government’s Crown Film Unit.
