London: The Modern Babylon

Once, London was not only the capital of the British Empire, but also the center of the world. And, in a way, it still is today. This bustling melting pot of cultures is the main character of Julien Temple's ode to London, a cinematic exercise in time travel through "his" city. Using stunning archive footage and interviews with musicians, writers, artists and ordinary people, Temple creates a complete portrait of all facets of this global capital. This is a wildly swinging history of a true metropolis, complete with the first ever filmed images of London from the early 20th century and famous literary quotes from the likes of Roald Dahl and W. B. Yeats. There is also a lavishly powerful soundtrack crammed with iconoclastic music by British artists ranging from the Clash and Underworld to the Sex Pistols and David Bowie. The result is a whirlwind trip through time leading up to the preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games. Exceptional archive footage with sound is interspersed with Temple's own recordings and footage from the countless cameras that ceaselessly spy on London - more than in any other city. Temple's expert editing then shows how much the city has changed and what - sometimes surprisingly - has stayed the same.