Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

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documentary film news VOL. 7 NO. 68 AUGUST 1948 EDITORIAL BOARD STEPHEN ACKROVI) DONALD ALEXANDER MAX ANDERSON EDGAR ANSTEY GEOFFREY BELL KEN CAMERON PAUL FLETCHER SINCLAIR ROAD GRAHAME THARP BASIL WRIGHT EDITOR DAVIDE BOULTING ASS I STANT EDITOR J\NE DAVIES CONTENTS Edinburgh — The First Week Stephen Ackroyd 85,86 Edinburgh 1948 John Grierson 87 World Union of Documentary D. Alexander and B.Wright 88,89 Edinburgh Illustrated 90,91 Pas de Deux Peter Baylis and Jack Howells 92 Why Should Truth go Dowdy? 93 The Red Shoes 94 South African Film Societies Lily Rabkin 95 Correspondence ... 96 Published every month by Film Onlrp 84 Soho §tf. London Wl ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 12 S. SINOLB COP IF S 1 J. REPORT FROM EDINBURGH The First Week by Stephen Ackroyd as i stood in Princes Street last Saturday, the evening before the second International Festival of Music and Drama was due to begin, and looked up at the casUe, which dominates the city of Edinburgh— the castle whose grim outlines would soon be dissolved bv the magic of floodlight — I confess that I had a moment of doubt. C ould Edinburgh in 1948 repeat the success of 1947? The answer came soon enough. Packed houses, enthusiastic audiences, and that fantastic, carefree, carnival atmosphere, which alone of our cities Edinburgh could have conjured up, these are all here again — and this time to stay; for it is now unthinkable that this great International Festival should not have a permanent place in the cultural events of our island. That the Documentary Film is a part of this festival should be a matter of great pride to all who are concerned in its future, and all documentary workers owe a deep debt of gratitude to the City of Edinburgh and to the Edinburgh Film Guild to whom is due the credit for the whole conception of the documentarv festival, and who have done such a magnificent job in organizing it. For the significance of the Edinburgh Documentary Festival does not lie only in the fact that here we are able to study, to exchange experiences, and to learn from the work of fellow documentary film-makers from many countries; it is also in th( that here, beside the arts of Music and Drama, Documentary stands as a medium on its own. Here, seen by an international audience, is the work of men and women from all over the world who strive, like ourselves, to express in film the factual realities of our time. It is in this realization of the truly international character of the Documentary idea that the real significance of the I burgh Film Festival lies, and which makes this event one ol the most exciting and stimulating of experiences. A detailed survey of the films shown at the Festival will be published in our next issue — today at the end of the first week it is only possible to touch on a few of the high-lights so far. Opened by Sir Michael Balcon, who had some pertinent remarks to make about the new Film Finance ( orporation, the Festival began last Sunda\ with a world premiere in the i alej Cinema o\ Robert Flaherty's fine new film. I he Louisiana Story. I wish that those distributors and exhibitors who have such a low opinion ol the t. isles ol the British public could have been there to watch this hugo iiudu'n. ■ id Hi, up i an the most part of the ordinary men and Women of Edinburgh, held spellbound bv the beaut] .\nd the pi>ctrv