A Hard Day’s Night

+ intro by broadcaster Samira Ahmed

Richard Lester’s anarchic and playful portrait of the Beatles draws heavily on the French New Wave and kitchen-sink British social realism to produce a one-off.

  • Director

    Richard Lester

  • With

    John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr

  • UK 1964. 88min

  • Digital

  • Certificate

    U

Shot in a documentary style inspired by the French New Wave, the Beatles’ first feature film captured Britain at a moment of social transformation, with a portrayal of celebrity, camaraderie and media frenzy that still resonates today. To mark publication of her BFI Film Classic on A Hard Day’s Night, author Samira Ahmed’s introduction will explore how a film made to celebrate a pop phenomenon became an enduring cinematic classic.

This screening will be followed by a book signing in the BFI Southbank Foyer.