International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1930)

— 4i — too long delayed, of this modern teaching medium, the possibilities of which are very far indeed from having been fully explored. Indeed in a near future we shall have to abandon methods and media of teaching which are becoming obsolete, and to bring up and educate our children by the most modern means of teaching and in accordance with ideas very different from those still obtaining, if we would avoid the risk of physically and intellectually injuring the future generations . Do we not even now pass half our lives sitting on school-benches ? At present, however, the financial difficulties in connection with the purchase and renting of films are a powerful obstacle to a wider utilization of that excellent medium of demonstration. The crucial point lies in the business necessities of the producer on the one side and in the limited means at the disposal of users on the other. Even a public collection of educational films will not of course be able to spend excessive sums. It may however, be confidently hoped that the present situation will prove only transient, and that the progress of technique will tend to cheapen considerably the production of films, while on the other hand increasing business will cause a fall in their price. If it be taken into account, further, that teaching films are in general comparatively short, and that the teaching equipment of present public schools includes great numbers of the same apparatus — stuffed articles, wall pictures, wall maps, and books — the average cost of which is certainly not inconsiderable, it will be granted that the above prediction is not altogether unfounded. It should, moreover, not be supposed, that the cinema will be an absolute addition to the previous equipment and expenses of schools and cultural associations, since the development of this means will render superflous many of the items now in use, these being for the time replaced by the film, itself perhaps destined to be later on wholly or partially superseded by a better and more suitable medium. The estimation of future requirements is not a simple matter of addition or multiplication but involves a higher ethical standard. The question is now one of surmounting a difficulty which cannot be overcome by the interested parties alone. They are unorganized and not sufficiently informed, and the public film collections we advocate should serve the purpose. Another question that deserves consideration is that of the institution of a collection of films of historical importance. Such a collection exists already in Holland, at the Hague. At the suggestion of the Dutch cultural film pioneer D. Van Staveren, a collection of historical films was started there, many years ago, so that these are now available in quite a considerable number. They were screened in part on the occasion of the Hague International Film Exhibition of 1928, and were found extremely interesting. How valuable it would be to possess the earliest films in their different stages! — how deeply it will be regretted in the future that the negatives or at least copies are not available of the hundreds of different kinds of special films notable for their artistic value or their cunning ! And how severely we shall be blamed by future generations because we, who stood by the cradle of the film, did not think of preserving for them those records of important events in the cultural, military, and biological domains ; films bearing on scientific investigation, and those showing great catastrophes, the pictures of celebrated or