Videoteca

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The Open Window 1952 star_border 6
One of the first European films commissioned by the countries that signes the Brussels treaty and filmed in the museums of Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Ghent and The Hague. The film shows, by means of 59 works of art, how painting discovered the landscape once it left the strictly religious context behind. Henri storck wrote, "We have tried to eliminate the artificiality of filming. We have tried to hide the camera in order to immerse the audience in the world of the painting and the landscape that it depicts. We want the viewer to discover the feeling of nature for himself, through the artists.... It is not our ambition to make a critical or informative work." This iconic journey from Bosch to Manet and Turner is accompanied by music by Georges Auric.

Wing to Wing 1951
Feature on the modern airplanes in the year 1951.

The Festival in London 1951
A documentary short on The Festival in London.

Caribbean 1951 star_border 3
Tradition, dance and song, modern customs and development and welfare services in the Caribbean Islands.

The Farmer's Horse 1951
In a time of increasing mechanisation, this public information film makes the case for the sturdy farm horse.

Life in Her Hands 1951
A woman blames herself for her husband's death. To overcome her grief and her guilt she becomes a nurse but then a patient dies while under her care.

Out of True 1951 star_border 6
A BAFTA award nominated fictional drama about young Molly Slade who awakens one morning in a depressed state that gradually leads to a complete nervous breakdown and a suicide attempt. It was made as an educational film.

The White Continent 1951
An account of the first expedition to the Queen Maud Land region of Antarctica.

Mary's Birthday 1951 star_border 4.5
The flower fairies help a little girl named Mary to thwart germs.

Four Men in Prison 1950
Part of BFI collection "Police and Thieves."

From the Ground Up 1950
Documentary short about how Britain is improving after WWII and what the populace can do to help.

The Magic Touch 1950
“A survey of the scientific discoveries which have made it possible to utilize unexploited resources, and so reduce dependence on imports.” - NFA Catalogue.

The Good Housewife in Her Kitchen 1950
Short public information film showing housewives' efficient and hygienic methods of food storage.

The People at No. 19 1949 star_border 4.5
Reported cases of sexually transmitted disease took a sharp rise during and after World War II, but as this film testifies, sexual license amongst soldiers on the frontline wasn't the sole cause. Back on the home front, for many women, like Joan from No. 19, loneliness or newfound independence acted as an incentive to extramarital promiscuity.

Daybreak in Udi 1949 star_border 4.3
An African tribe in the Eastern Nigerian village of Umana work to build a maternity hospital, with the aid of government officials, and against the opposition of some tribal members.

Dollars and Sense 1949
An explanation of what is involved in the devaluation of sterling.

Pop Goes the Weasel 1948
The English nursery rhyme, Pop Goes The Weasel, has had various interpretations and by giving the title to this HM-Treasury sponsored picture, the memorable lyrics helped to remind a 1948 audience that their taxes were divided up to pay for various post-war commitments and services that would benefit them.

Worth the Risk? 1948
Road safety film about how 'accidents always happen to other people'. A series of scenes illustrate careless behavior that could lead to road accidents. This includes a boy running out into the road in front of a car, a drunk man behind the wheel who nearly knocks over a pedestrian.

Queen o’ the Border 1948
A portrait of Hawick, pronounced 'hoik' by the locals, a town in the Scottish Borders. The film was shot in Technichrome - a vibrant colour system developed in 1948 to photograph the British Olympic Games.

A Yank Comes Back 1948
In a follow up to 'A Welcome to Britain', Burgess Meredith returns to look at a post-war Britain.

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