The General Post Office may seem an unlikely source for some of the most creative British filmmaking of the 1930s, but with a talent roster including W.H. Auden, Benjamin Britten, Alberto Cavalcanti, Humphrey Jennings, Len Lye, Norman McLaren and J.B. Priestley, that's exactly what it was.

Here, Sir Derek Jacobi presents an extensively illustrated interactive guide to the history of the GPO Film Unit, with clips ranging from well-known classics like Night Mail (1936) to rarer but equally sparkling gems.

This Screenonline/BT Archive Interactive is freely available to all users.

Interactive video by BT

This tour requires Flash Player, which you can download from the Macromedia website.

• HD Fullscreen version (requires 2MB+ broadband)
• Broadband version (requires 512k+ broadband)
• Narrowband version (requires dial-up modem)

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Enjoyed the tour? Why not take a look at our other BFI / BT Archive Interactives:

• Malcolm McDowell on Free Cinema
• Paul Merton on Early British Comedy
• Jonathan Ross on Ealing Studios
• A conversation with Julie Walters