Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

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26 DOCUMENTARY FILM NEWS NOTES OF THE MONTH John Grierson followers of the documentary film will find a special logic in John Grierson's return to England at this time to oversee Government film-making. Britain's key position today in the world of economics and politics provides crucial tasks for the informational film-maker. Both in North America and later with UNESCO, John Grierson has during the past nine years made a signal contribution to the use and the development of the factual film. He returns to London to find in existence many of those things for which he pioneered in the early days of documentary — Government filmmaking centralized under a single agency, the State in possession of its own Film Unit. Yet few will claim that Government films are at present either fully effective as propaganda or even half satisfying as art. It is safe to assume that John Grierson will achieve lively improvement in both directions. And our guess is that he will begin by suggesting that instead of sitting in the dining-room and complaining about the food, the cooks should take off their coats and get to work in the kitchen. Academic Honour the documentary film movement has not been openly honoured in the academic field during its brief — but not all that brief existence. We shall all, therefore, find an exceptional warmth of appreciation in the so well-merited honour done to John Grierson of the University of Glasgow, which has now invested him with an LL.D. In this action the University of Glasgow is doing much more than honouring one of its more electrifying alumni, it is in fact, honouring on a national and international scale, the untiring efforts of an exceptionally gifted and hard-working individual on behalf of a new, lively and constructive approach to civic education throughout the world. The only wonder is that the honour should be single and so belated. Certain other Universities — and not only in the British Isles — might ponder the implications. The Cultural Needs of our People ON February 19th while the Lords continued somewhat academically to debate the new Films Bill, the Commons passed an amendment to the Local Government Bill giving local authorities wide powers to provide entertainment of all kinds. For the first time they can set up theatres and run exhibitions and concerts and also their own cinemas and film shows. They can even provide their own bars ! The revival of interest in the arts during the war showed how narrow had been the choice of entertainment provided commercially. Wise and imaginative use of their new powers by local authorities can spread enormously the cultural opportunities available in all parts of the country. This need is as great in films as it is in the other arts. Religion and Films the first films to be made officially by the Church of England were shown privately on February 9th in London. They have been financed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The first, entitled The Coming of the Light was produced by the Rev G. L. Wheeler in consultation with the Production Committee of the Church of 1 ngland Films Commission (which is being superseded by the new advisory Church of England Film Council with SPCK as its Executive Agency). The second film, entitled Your Inheritance, was produced under the direct supervision of the Production Committee of the Commission. Both films are primarily instructional and are designed to be used in conjunction with other modes of teaching, whether in hall or in church. The Coming of the Light is intended to be used in connection with lectures and classes, for Youth or Further Study (Adult) purposes. It employs topographical and diagrammatical sequences to illustrate the history of the Church of England, from the earliest times down to the sixth century. It is planned as the first in a series of historical instructional films. Your Inheritance is primarily intended for adult churchgoers. It is meant to bring before them visually what the Church can mean to them, and that the Church's fife is in its members and not in its stones. It is hoped that the DFN Review Board will be able to see these films in the near future. Shorts Edinburgh this year hopes to beat last year's record. The Festival of Documentary Films is to last three weeks — roughly from August 22nd to September 7th. We hope to keep readers advised as to the plans for the Festival. We hear from Evans Medical Supplies that their pharmaceutical film Take Thou has proved so popular that additional copies have had to go into the Central Film Library. Numbers 4, 5 and 6 of This Modern Age Series are now available for the use of film societies on 16 mm. These three films are entitled Fabrics of the Future, Thoroughbreds for the World, and Palestine. They may be hired from GB Film Library and our reviews of them will be found in DNL, Vol. 6, No. 56. John Curthoys' productions and Unicorn Head have moved to new and larger premises at 177 The Vale, Acton, London, W3. Sub-standard exhibitors have formed a 16 mm Film Exhibitor 4 Guild with a temporary address at Whitehall Cine Service. 11< Whitehall Road, Bristol, 5. There is, apparently, some possibility that the CEA will not recognize such an organization. James Madill of Glasgow has won first prize in the recent Central Office of Information script writing competition — John Harpe: Nelson of London came second. Over 500 scripts were sent in from all parts of the world. Congratulations to COI for taking advantage of a week when there were no new feature films for the Critics Circle to see. The quickly organized a show of documentaries instead and invited all the critics. Couldn't this be a regular practice'