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Hidden away among the rolling hills of Warwickshire is a seemingly innocuous building that stands proudly against its wooded backdrop. Once part of a military installation, the site has been remodelled to house one of the country’s most important structures for cultural heritage - the British Film Institute’s (BFI’s) Master Film Store.

While it might appear tranquil on the outside, within, control systems in sub-zero vaults are working constantly to preserve 450,000 canisters of archived film footage dating as far back as 1895. The treasure chest includes film prints from the early works of Mitchell and Kenyon to Hitchcock’s masterpieces and The King’s Speech.

Unfortunately, most of these films are under serious threat of destruction. If left unprotected, just one stray spark could turn the entire archive into a ball of fire within seconds. This is because the majority of films made between 1889 and the mid-1920s are nitrate-based. Once set alight, nitrate film is near impossible to put out. Its chemical make-up includes oxygen, so it can continue to burn even if it is submerged in water.