In January 2010 the BFI will issue Peter Watkins' Privilege (1967) on DVD and Blu-ray as part of the Flipside collection.

Steve Shorter, the biggest pop star of his day, is loved by millions; his approval or endorsement can guide the choices and actions of the masses. But, in reality, he is a puppet whose popularity is carefully managed by government-backed handlers keen to keep the country's youth under control. Only an act of complete rebellion can set him free.

Starring Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones as Shorter, and iconic Sixties supermodel Jean Shrimpton as the girl who tries to help him defy the system, Privilege is the third feature from provocative British director Peter Watkins, a filmmaker whose unique vérité-style and oppositional themes have continually met with controversy throughout his career.

Remastered in high-definition and made available in the UK for the first time since its original cinema release, Privilege is presented here with two of Watkins' earliest film works.

Special features:
• All films remastered to High Definition
• Original trailer
• The Diary of an Unknown Soldier (Peter Watkins, 1959, 17 mins): a compelling short film in which a young solider in the trenches of the First World War shares his innermost feelings
• The Forgotten Faces (Peter Watkins, 1961, 17 mins): a gripping newsreel-style account of the peoples' uprising in Hungary, 1956, given forceful authenticity by Watkins' unique approach
• Extensive illustrated booklet with essays by Peter Watkins, film historian Robert Murphy, and Watkins specialist John Cook.