Documentary News Letter (1944-1945)

18 DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER should be drawn from these sources in the first place, is uncertain. Perhaps those responsible for drafting this part of the memorandum could not agree among themselves and therefore made it ambiguous deliberately. Whatever the precise meaning of the phrase, we hope that everyone concerned will press for a Committee, expert in its own right and above the battle of competing special interests. There is a fair measure of agreement on matters of distribution as well as of production. All groups consider that there ought to be local film libraries, backed up by a Central Film Library. All groups require that the distribution of films to schools should be free, though this point is made implicitly and not explicitly in the 5-group memorandum. The latter also proposes that the local libraries shall purchase prints from the central agency at a price calculated ultimately to make the production programme pay for itself. The 25-group memorandum would make the films available to the local libraries free of charge, and the Arts Enquiry dismisses the question without coming to a conclusion. Most of the documentary producing units consider that all distribution should be free. For our part, we believe that experience will show that it is not only undesirable to charge for the supply of prints to local libraries but also very difficult. Large numbers of films used in schools (though not specifically designed for them) are already available, without charge, from the Central Film Library and other sources, and this practice is certain to continue. A service of films, some of which carry a charge and some of which do not, will be almost unmanageable. There would also be an objectionable tendency for the poorer local film libraries to base their orders for printing less on an objective study of local requirements than on a choice partly influenced by what they could get for nothing. In any case, whatever is done will have to be paid for out of the public purse. According to the 5-group memorandum the money would come partly from the rates and partly from grants-in-aid ; the 25-group memorandum would place the charges for the supply of films squarely on the public exchequer, with the application of all the safeguards that such a process requires. Two points are overlooked in the 5-group memorandum, which generally takes rather a narrower view of the various problems than the other groups. It will be essential for the local film libraries to service all classes of user, an independent national system of objective appraisal must be developed as a guide and corrective, not only to the new Committee but to the producers. In the first case, since the film has now become an integral part of our cultural life, it will be not only inefficient, but anti-social, if local film libraries do not provide a service to adult education groups and universities. film societies and cultural organisations of all kinds, whether the come under the local authority or not. If necessary this wider ser\ J must be financed by grants from the Ministry of Educatio Secondly, the objective appraisal of films is fundamental to arl scheme of educational film production. Evidence must be collects to guide producers to conceive their films in terms which will mail each of the greatest possible use in its particular age group. Eacj film must not only be appraised by teachers, but also studied in tr class-room. Finally, the new Committee must compile and issue I catalogue in which all the available films in the country are listed, m matter what their source, with synopses, appraisals (made by soir w independent body) and notes on the audience ranges for whicjf they appear to be suited. From a close consideration of all the memoranda it is clear thcjf differences of opinion between the various groups are relative I negligible in comparison with points of agreement. This remarkab'.U unanimity has been reached because all teachers in Britain have dtB cided that they, and no one else, shall command the film in eduuiv tion. Indeed, so firm is the general determination in this matter thaB it is difficult to see how the backward influences which are knov. |* still to lurk in some of the higher reaches of the Ministry of EducaB tion can much longer impede the national will. NOTES 1 Reproduced in Education for February 22nd, 1946 (Vol LXXXVIli No. 2250). 2 Reproduced in The Times Educational Supplement for March 2iu It 1946 (No. 1609). Besides those groups responsible for drafting the origina statement, the following subscribed to the memorandum in question: — Association of Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education Association of University Teachers; Association of Assistant Mistresses, British Association of Commercial and Industrial Education; Cardrj Education Committee; Classical Association; Educational Handwor Association; English New Education Fellowship; Film Council of tb SouthWest ; Historical Association; Incorporated Association of Assistarj Masters; Incorporated Association of Headmistresses; Incorporate: Association of Headmasters; Ling Physical Education Association Mathematical Association; National Association of Girls and Mix© Clubs; National Association of Schoolmasters; National Union c Women Teachers; National Association of Head Teachers; Schod Nature Study Union; London Schools Film Society. 3 The Film in Schools. (No. 245 of the P.E.P. Broadsheet, '-Planning" issued on February 15, 1946.) The Arts Enquiry was established in 194i to study the organisation of the visual arts. It has been sponsored by thj Darlington Hall Trustees in association with the Nuffield College Socia Reconstruction Survey. NOTES OF THE MONTH More Two-way Traffic in response to our complaint in the last issue that no proper efforts are being made to arrange the reciprocal circulation in Britain of film from overseas, Mr. R. E. Tritton, Director of the Film Department of the British Council, writes to correct what he feels is amisstatement of fact: — "You say that so far as you know, neither the M.O.I, nor the British Council has done anything to encourage this two-way traffic. I can't help feeling that before your writer made that remark he might, perhaps, have rung up the British Council to ask what they were doing, rather than he should assume that they were doing nothing. "As regards France, when M. de Fonbrune visited London in January : (1) Communications Department of the Council, at very short notice, made arrangements with Customs and Excise for :: his films and equipment to be brought in; (2) Science and Medical Departments, assembled, at very shot notice, a gathering of scientists and scientific film people (3) A very successful showing of his film was made under th British Council auspices. "Again, we are at the moment making arrangements for soi of Dr. Comandon's films to be brought to London and shov under the British Council auspices. Yet again, we are at th moment making arrangements for a number of Danish film which Arthur Elton has brought to the country to be shown boti to the press and to various interested people in this country." We are delighted to receive this evidence that the Council i taking this reciprocity question seriously. But it is still a matter \'o regret that there is no department of the Council or the CO., wholly devoted to the handling of cultural films from ove which would not only deal with films once they have arrived, b which would seek out suitable films and import them.