Documentary News Letter (1942-1943)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER No. 6 1943 Film Societies The Manchester and Salford Film Society began its autumn session with Lenin in 1918. At the performance on November 21st Eisenstein's Alexander Nevski will be the principal film and there will also be some distinguished short films. The Hon. Secretary is R. Cordwell, 31 Cringle Road, Manchester, 19. The Film Society of Ayrshire will hold eight ordinary and two repertory meetings both at Ayr and Kilmarnock during the present season. Among the films shown will be some early Disneys, some French, Russian, Dutch and American films and documentaries from Britain, Canada, America and Russia. The Hon. Secretary is Arthur J. Nelson, 6 Hilary Crescent, Ayr. The Belfast Film Institute Society showed at its November meeting The Postman Always Rings Twice. Later in the season will be shown Flaherty's Nanook of the North, The Blue Angel and UEtrange M. Victor. The membership Secretary is Miss Doreen McFetridge, 52 Donegall Place, Belfast. The Aberdeen Film Society began its present season in October with a membership which has increased from 150 to 501. Afternoon and evening performances are being continued. At the November meeting Derriere la Facade was shown. The Magnificent Ambersons may be shown later on. The Secretary is Alice C. Hendry, 7 Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen. The Devon and Exeter Film Society continues on a reduced scale, with sub-standard films. Meetings are held at the Visual Education Centre, University College, Exeter. A season of eight shows includes the following features : The White Hell of Pitz Palu, The Cheat, Nanook of the North, Kameraschdaft , General Line, Jew Siiss, South Riding, Film and Reality, with supporting documentaries. Time is allowed for discussion. The Society co-operates intimately with the Film Council of the South-West. The London Scientific Film Society's sixth season opened on 6th November. The programme included three Russian films, one on mechanical coal-mining in the Donetz Basin, and two dealing with the work of the Pavlov Institute for medical research in Moscow. There was also shown the first of the series of "research films" which the Society is screening this year. It was described in a talk by the producer, and illustrated the use of the cine camera in research — in this case to produce a slow motion colour study of stresses set up in a transparent plastic model section of a railway line. The programme concluded with Nemo-Psychiatry, the recent film on the treatment of war-time neuroses made for American medical audiences. The Society's efforts in obtaining films such as the latter, not normally available to the public, is greatly to be commended. It has previously shown specimens of naval technical films and it is to be hoped that examples of the other two Services' work will be forthcoming. Response to the Society's announcements this year reflects an immense interest in the scientific fi'm. In fact, applications for membership have been so heavy that the Sociely has had regretfully to close the membership list for this season owing to limitations of theatre accommodation. Plans are however being made for operations on a larger scale next year and full details of these will be pub ished later. The Dundee and St. Andrews Film Society has decided to show during the coming season some of the best American pictures, among them The Magnificent Ambersons, All That Money Can Buy, and Winterset. There will be some Continental films and also Russian films. A children's film show will be given on Sunday, December 26th. The Hon. Treasurer of this Society is G. A. Kinnear, 3 King's Road, Dundee. The Film Council of the SouthWest continues to cater for the film needs of the South-West Region, in the non-theatrical field. Its area Film Library distributes films all over the region. At its headquarters (University College, Exeter), it provides information, advice, lectures and film shows for a great variety of bodies and individuals, educational, social, medical, national defence. The Film Council, together with the lectureship in Visual Education, and an Information Bureau, Reference Library and Education Laboratory constitute a Visual Education Centre. Teachers are trained, educational thought and discussion on modern media are promoted and research is carried on. A survey of existing visual materials of all types is being carried out. Readers of D.N.L. are invited to submit material (stills, film strips, illustrationscharts, catalogues, etc.) for this survey. A Saturday morning Film Forum for showing and discussing documentary and educational films has been organised. The Film Council will publish a Visual Bulletin describing the work in greater detail. Enquiries should be addressed to G. Patrick Meredith, Visual Education Centre, University College, Exeter. GLASGOW introducing . . . LONDON RUSSELL PRODUCTIONS LTD. 188 St. Vincent Street Glasgow, C.2 tel. CENtral 7670 and 39 Uphill Grove London, N.W.7 tel. MILIhill 2612 LONDON GLASGOW