How We Used to Live (2013)
Director Paul Kelly and art-pop trio St Etienne follow up their "London Trilogy" of films with this documentary, using the BFI's archive footage of London to follow the city's postwar recovery through to the dawn of Thatcherism. From the celebration of everything public (exemplified by the creation of the welfare state), to our final stop at the renovation of Canary Wharf, the film creates a sense of wonder and exploration rather than nostalgia, as we stare into the eyes of a previous generation of Londoners. On the audio side of things, St Etienne's script and soundtrack, and Ian McShane's deep narration (portraying a fictional native's relationship with the city) are a perfect accompaniment, setting a mood without distracting from the visuals. Creating something unique out of a much-explored subject, How We Used To Live is both a captivating piece of time travel and a reminder of the capital's ongoing evolution.
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