Documentary News Letter (1940)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER FEBRUARY 1940 }ilities. They have aroused an interest which annot at present be adequately met." We shall probably see in time that these needs lardly differ from the long term needs of the lemocratic community in peace. It is on these leeds that the plan must be prepared. The Fundamental Needs rhere is first of all the need of the schools. SVith improvised educational facilities in many ases the lack of proper educational equipment is .Iready being seriously felt. Film lessons can »mpensate, and when the new curriculum, which nust replace the old, is being formulated, film nust bulk large in the scheme. A school inspector says: "With money and transport taken for granted, the following film activities should be arranged for the Schools Films for curricular use, for background teaching and for amusement must be provided to the schools in the reception areas through regional libraries. There should be a sound projector in each school in the rural areas, and this should serve the needs of the whole village as well as the school. In towns a projector is necessary in each neighbourhood for the use of groups of schools and local organisations. A scheme similar to the Scottish scheme must be operated in England, with regular tours of 16 mm. projectors to those areas which do not come into the category of having a projector for the exclusive use of the village or neighbourhood. The use of films for general educational purposes should be extended to all places where people can get together. Institutes, clubs, associations, would serve as foci for the cultural life of the district or the village." Secondly, the Adult Education field, which includes the Workers' Educational Association, the University Extension, the literary and debating societies, the village institutes, calls for special treatment. These are going to be the discussion groups of the war. In many of them local problems and difficulties will find a nightly airing. Authoritative films would help to guide the discussions and civic co-operation would thereby be facilitated. The third great group in the community to whom film can offer a valuable service is the women's audience. This will be one of the important information areas during the war. Food and economy are largely women's problems. They will require information, help and guidance. Films directed to the existing large audiences of women in the country are today a fundamental need. Next comes the Army, Navy and the civilian service groups. Here the demand is mainly for entertainment, but many of the recruits to all the services — active and civilian — have much to learn about the techniques and instruments of their job. Astonishingly enough, the Army Educational Committee was dissolved immediately war was declared. Technical films in peace-time have proved serviceable to industries, and might again provide the basis of a quick and effective technical education for the services. There are also special needs of limited sections of the community in war-time. Farmers for instance might welcome the latest agricultural knowledge if it were attractively portrayed in films. Money All this involves capital expenditure in terms of projectors and auxiliary apparatus; alterations in local budgets as well as direct appropriations from the Treasury; centralised and regional planning, firstly of production and secondly of distribution ; and the regional operation of distribution. There is in existence a supply of film which in peace-time did something of a job. Today the first needs of production are bound to be war needs, and related to war, and much new production will have to be initiated from official departments. But if a wide non-theatrical distribution scheme were to be started many sources of production, momentarily dried up, would flow again. While wide and directive non-theatrical distribution is absolutely vital during the war, its value will continue and increase when the war is over. The acquiring of a wide non-theatrical scheme by Great Britain would be of pemianent value, and of the greatest use in the post-war period, when education of this nature will be vital to the reconstruction and betterment of our social and civic communities. i FILM PlLlMTIOi ^ A New Quarterly Edited by Jay Leyda 2 Dollars a Year PubUshed by Kamin Publishers 15 West 56th Street New York NY .1 ^^-^__»^^^^^^^^^^^-^^.^_^ hi on ri Survey of Films at New York World's Fair by Richard Griffith 4 u Study Guides to a new Series of Agricultural Films 10 SI Study Guides to the Human Relations Series of Short Films )«« (Selected List of Thirty 16 mm. Films for Discussion Groups for particulars and prices apply AMERICAN FILM CENTER INC 45 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA NEW YORK NY Volume One of School Film Library Catalogue for particulars and prices apply ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL FILM LIBRARIES 9 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA NEW YORK NY