Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

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DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER 135 FIRST INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DOCUMENTARY FILMS "Plato said it was in harmony — ■/'// the learning of harmony, in the pursuit of harmony that one could find the basis of justice and the basis of the good life. All art is a state oj harmony and its form is the achievement oj harmony. Its substance is concerned with all that breaks up harmony. In that respect the arts have much of great practicality to give today. It is in the sight oj mans achievements as literature presents them that we fire our will. It is in man's mind — at work, in difficulty and suffering, but still maintaining his great progress — that we find our inspiration for the future. Documentary has a very specific part to play in this inspiration and in this ivork. It is an art. it is a public service, and it is an educational instrument. It is one of the few arts that has these three elements. It is a mirror held up to nature, hut also it is a hammer shaping the future.'1 (Excerpt from John Grierson's speech at the opening performance of the Festival) The Edinburgh Festival demands much more than a casual notice. Our press date made it impossible to do justice to Scotland's initiative in this issue. Early in November we hope to bring out a special issue. TILL THEN WE SAY THANK YOU, SCOTLAND (Continued from page I 34) Technical Needs will come up for approval by the member nations present. They must decide whether the lines of action proposed for reequipping the film industries of I urope and the Far East arc to,be implemented. The value of the further surveys to which UNESCO is already committed will depend on the degree of willing co-operation shown at Mexico City. To prepare a plan of action, however excellent the plan, is pjintless unless action can be taken. I he recent FAO Conference in Geneva is a depressing example of the way in which sell-interest an. I stupidity are impeding world reconstruction. The fate of world plans does not, however, depend only on the decisions of official conferences. UNESCO's report is not the respono\' the delegates at Mexico ( it> alone. It is a document which demands attention in every countrj and in all quarters where there is genuine interest in developing the use Ol the film. It is our responsibility in Britain to consider what can be done to bring toicign technicians to this country to Study, to send film units abroad to work with local groups, to develop the two-waj exchange with othei countries of films f pes and relevant information \ 'it has been made on all these fronts. I he Edinburgh I Mm Festival brought togethei foi the first time a representative collection o\ world documentaries. In Brussels last Jul} the an organization ot docui ntary film workers was laid in the World I nionol Documentary In Paris in October the Scientific Filn ' ion is participating in blish an international scientific film bod) \' the receni International Conference o ' ' ions in Czechoslovakia similai pi dis cussed, ["here is. both national)) and internationally, the machinery to sup: of the recommendations in t! It is tm us to lake the lead which has