Alfred Hitchcock silent films added to United Nations’ cultural catalogue

A selection of silent movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock has been added to the United Nations’ U.K. register as a representation of British culture. The filmmaker’s debut feature, The Pleasure Garden, will join boxing drama The Ring and seven of his other surviving early pictures on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) U.K. Memory of the World Register, which was created in 2010 and “reflects the richness of U.K. culture and history, from medieval manuscripts to ground-breaking cinema”.
Robin Baker, head curator at the British Film Institute (BFI), which was responsible for restoring the movies, says, “We are very pleased to see that the early films from one of the world’s best known filmmakers are taking their place alongside some of the greatest cultural artefacts of the United Kingdom.
“Film culture is too often overlooked in summaries of British cultural heritage.”
A total of 11 items have been selected from libraries, archives and museums across Britain for the latest inclusion in the online catalogue.