International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1930)

D O C U M E N R M The topical documentary film is occupying a more and more prominent place on the world's screens and it would seem that this form of film satisfies a special need of the cinema public. Tired after the day's work, most spectators do not relish a long film which adds to their fatigue and compels them to think, to concentrate and follow the incidents of a plot. The documentary film is usually short. In any case it aims at avoiding the banal and the conventional; it offers light and restful fare, and presents life to the spectator from an entirely new angle or in aspects unfamiliar or unknown. Thus instead of tiring, it offers the best facilities for rest, instruction and amusement. Fox Film has realised the possibilities of documentary and topical films and for the year 1930-1931, has devoted the substantial sum of 20 million dollars to this branch of screen work (The Daily Film Renter, London, D. 6-540). Moreover, this kind of film, with very few exceptions, costs much less to produce than the ordinary dramatic film. Sound Waves, Hollywood (D. 34-586) reckons that an American studio spends on the average 1000 dollars an hour in producing a section of a theatrical film which it will only take six seconds to show. Again screen enthusiasts and critics have been paying increasing attention to the documentary film. Pierre Emsey, in the Eclair of Montpellier (D. 6/514), prophesies the triumph of the documentary film, especially when, as in Moana or White Shadows, the document constitutes the leit-motif of the film, threading its way through a dramatic plot or other elements which give it emotional effect. M. Gerard, who is officially in charge of French tourist propaganda (The Daily Film Renter, London, C. 6/533), nas proposed that through the agency of the French consulates every country should be persuaded to show documentary films made in France and illustrating the natural and artistic beauties of the country. Finally, Marcel Lapierre, in Le Peuple Paris (D. 6/593), in an article entitled " The propaganda film," regrets that official propaganda in France has not been developed as it should be. The documentary film, however, possibly for formal reasons connected with production, has its critics. Jean Painleve (Bordeaux Cine, Bordeaux, D. 6/507), at a recent lecture at Strasbourg bitingly criticised the pseudo-documentary film created for the sole purpose of obtaining fiscal alleviation. At the same time he is in favour of the genuine documentary film unadorned with the inappropriate trappings which belong only to the theatrical film. Leon Moussinac (Humanite, Paris, 1^ 9/z37) attacks it on other grounds, namely, on the score that a cinema monopoly— through a series of topical films — would make anti-Soviet propaganda. A contrary opinion was expressed (Humanite, Paris, D. 18/325) by those who were invited to attend a private exhibition of uncensored Russian documentary films. The spectators made no protest against the monopoly privilege, but complained that the censorship, by prohibiting certain films, did in fact limit artistic expression. For frankly national reasons the SocialDemocrats on the Copenhagen town council (Le Courrier Cinematographique, Paris, D. 6/462) have proposed the building of a special cinema to be exclusively used for the exhibition of documentary and educational films, more especially with the purpose of stemming the rising tide of American imported films, which they hold to be silly or superficial. The documentary cinema has itself been abundantly filmed. According to the Epoca of Madrid (D. 6/538), an exceedingly interesting film was shown at the Cine Club in Madrid, under the name of " History of the Cinematograph," in which were shown successively the praxinoscope, the ingl.