Almost Perfect: The Films of Billy Wilder

A refugee-turned-Hollywood titan; a plucky teenager who scammed, charmed and bulldozed his way to a life of wealth and critical acclaim. A legendary raconteur – both on the page and propping up a Beverly Hills bar – Billy Wilder’s talent for exaggeration and imagination lit up the screen.

Wilder's incredible exuberance, talent and wit made him one of the finest émigré directors to ever dominate the Hollywood studio system, and he boasts an extraordinary back catalogue of iconic films.

Never one to shy away from a taboo or to sugarcoat a feeling, he captured the American imagination by exposing its flaws, as only a true fan can, making his works enduringly relevant and relatable.

Throughout this two-month season, the BFI will be showing all of Wilder's most famous films, as well as lesser-known and forgotten gems, including iconic favourites like; the cross-dressing comedy Some Like It Hot, the gripping Agatha Christie adaptation Witness for the Prosecution, the playful Audrey Hepburn comedy Sabrina, the devastating portrait of an alcoholic The Lost Weekend, the biting satire Sunset Boulevard, and one of the all-time favourite Christmas romances The Apartment.