Film and the end of empire In these two volumes of original essays scholars from around the world address the history of British colonial cinema stretching from the emergence of cinema at the height of imperialism to moments of decolonization and the ending of formal imperialism in the post Second World War In these two volumes of original essays scholars from around the world address the history of British colonial cinema stretching from the emergence of cinema at the height of imperalism to moments of decolonization and the ending of formal imperialism in the post Second World War