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children realise that Africa is a land of complex civilisations and not a strip of sand where ignorant natives run from the white man in terror.
6. Kraft und Schoenheit. — This would need to be shortened. The scenes in the stadium^ contrast of modern life, the training of tiny babies, the slow-motion pictures of boxing, fencing, ju-jitsu, etc., would probably be more enjoyed by children than the various forms of dancing. But I should not insult the intelligence and artistic sense of the children by cutting out the nudes.
7. Under Arctic Skies, — This gives a good idea of Northern life and links up, via Siberia, with Asia. Nanook of the North might be substituted, but I have always missed this picture. At any rate, the bears playing
in the stream, the birds on the Siberian shore, will help the children to circle the world with their minds.
8. Son of the Mountains. — This is a Goskino film, taken in the Caucasus. The story is poor; it is, in fact, a Russian " Western," but probably the children won't object. The scenes of village life are excellent, and they will like the riding and the fighting. The chief reason, however, why this film is suggested is that most people link up Russia with the Arctic and forget completely the Asiatic and Mohammedan fringes, that suffer from intense heat rather than from cold. With this, as it is not very long, might be shown Cooper and Schoedsack's Grass, an interesting picture of tribal migration across the Persian mountains.
9. Mother. — Directed by Pudowkin. Perhaps the most religious film yet made. It is not revolutionary in spirit : it is universal. And it is absurd to deny a film of so great a vision to children simply because it happens to have been made in Russia. To do this is to place ourselves on the level of the women jeering at the prisoners in this picture.
I am afraid my list is very different to the current English experiments. Not one patriotic film and not one fairy tale. But, except for the Voyage au Congo, I have taken children to all the films I have suggested and noted their criticism and reactions. The adult world (perhaps from nervousness) too often surrounds childhood with falseness. These pictures will show it the world as it is — its beauty, its ugliness, its possibility of adventure.
Bryher.
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