Peter Whitehead, the legendary English filmmaker who documented the counterculture in London and New York in the late 1960s, is the subject of a special season at the British Film Institute in London.

Amongst the films being shown are two which will be well-known to Pink Floyd fans, for the unique footage they show of the Syd Barrett era line-up in action.

The documentaries made by Peter Whitehead between 1965 and 1970 offer a fascinating insight into 60s and 70s Britain in particular, and are still avidly watched by those who lived through the times, along with social historians.

Films in this season include Allen Ginsberg and other beat luminaries at the Royal Albert Hall in Wholly Communion, his investigation of 'swinging London' in Tonite Let's All Make Love in London, and his recent return to filmmaking, working with The Libertines.

Tonite Let's... for those who haven't seen it, is a documentary of life in "swinging" London in 1967, and is made up of a montage of images fast cut together, set to music. For the soundtrack, a special version of Pink Floyd's Interstellar Overdrive was used and features towards the end of the movie, coinciding with Ginsberg talking about pop music.

The recording sessions were filmed and in recent years, the footage was pieced together to form Pink Floyd: Live in London 1966-67 (the DVD of which is reviewed here). Featuring the band going through Interstellar, and an otherwise unheard "jam" called Nick's Boogie, it is a fascinating and unique look at how the band made those early improvisational soundscapes. Incredible footage and truly unmissable.

The season also includes Whitehead taking to the National Film Theatre (NFT) stage to discuss his career.

Here's what's happening when:

Fri 2 Mar

NFT1     6.20PM     Tonite Let's All Make Love in London + Nothing to Do With Me

NFT2     8.40PM     Daddy

Sat 3 Mar

NFT1     6.10PM     Pink Floyd: Live in London 1966-67 + Led Zeppelin: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Sun 4 Mar

NFT2     6.00PM     Fire in the Water + Perception of Life

NFT1     8.30PM     Peter Whitehead: Music Promos + Work in Progress

Mon 5 Mar

NFT1     8.20PM     Pink Floyd: Live in London 1966-67 + Led Zeppelin: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Tue 6 Mar

NFT1     6.20PM     Peter Whitehead: Music Promos + Work in Progress

NFT2     8.40PM     Wholly Communion + Benefit of the Doubt

Wed 7 Mar

NFT1     6.30PM     The Fall

NFT1     8.45PM     Peter Whitehead in Conversation

Thu 8 Mar

NFT2     8.30PM     The Fall

Fri 9 Mar

NFT2     6.20PM     Fire in the Water + Perception of Life

NFT1     8.45PM     Tonite Let's All Make Love in London + Nothing to Do With Me

Sat 10 Mar

NFT1     8.45PM     Tonite Let's All Make Love in London + Nothing to Do With Me

Sun 11 Mar

NFT3     6.10PM     Special Preview: In the Beginning Was the Image

NFT2     6.30PM     Daddy

NFT2     8.40PM     Tonite Let's All Make Love in London + Nothing to Do With Me

For more information on the Peter Whitehead season, visit www.bfi.org.uk. The site also has an interesting interview with Whitehead, from the Sight & Sound magazine, which you can read here.

Our thanks to Jason Pyke for his help with this story.