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British Film Institute (BFI)

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British Transport Films Collection Vol. 1: On and Off the Rails

British Transport Films Collection Vol. 1: On and Off the Rails


Ref: BV116D


Price:£20.40

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Following nationalisation of transport in 1948, the British Transport Commission set up its own in-house film production unit. Launched on 1st.May 1949 and led for 25 years by Edgar Anstey OBE - a founding father of the British documentary movement - it became one of the largest industrial film units in Britain.

This, the first in a series of double DVD sets, contains such classics as "Blue Pullman", "Elizabethan Express", "Snowdrift at Bleath Gill", and "John Betjeman goes by Train", as well as lesser know gems including "Under the River", "This is York" and "This Year - London".

All these films are now preserved in the BFI National Film and Television Archive. This selection has been digitally remastered for this two-disk set.


Disk 1: On the Rails
  • Blue Pullman (1960)
  • Elizabethan Express (1954)
  • Train Time (1952)
  • Rail 150 (1975)
  • The Diesel Train Driver (1959)
  • On Track for the Eighties (1980)
  • Cybernetica (1972)
Disk 2: Off the Rails
  • Under the River (1959)
  • Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955)
  • This Year - London (1951)
  • This is York (1953)
  • The Great Highway (1966)
  • A Day of One's Own (1956)
  • John Betjeman goes by Train (1962)



Availability: AVAILABLE
Published by: British Film Institute
Filmed by/when: 1951 to 1980
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Region: Region 2
Classification: 'E' Exempt
Number of discs: 2 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 261-mins (4hr 21min) , Colour and Black&White
.

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British Transport Films Collection Vol. 2: See Britain by Train

British Transport Films Collection Vol. 2: See Britain by Train


Ref: BV117D


Price:£20.40

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This new collection focuses on the beautifully crafted and poetic travelogue films that were made during the 1950s and early 1960s to inspire the public to travel and to promote business. The films are very subtle in their message and whether promoting day return trips, party travel or family holidays, they succeed brilliantly in combining fantasy and reality. In images as diverse as bustling cities, scenes of idyllic rural tranquillity and majestic mountain landscapes, they offer an escapist paradise to a bygone era where permanent sunshine and adventure are just a journey away. See Britain by Train contains over four hours of footage.

Highlights include:

* Cyclists Special (1955) - A very rare and novel film of how British Railways can cater for party travel.

* Holiday (1957) - The 1950s free-cinema movement inspired new styles of non-fiction filmmaking. This film catches all the atmosphere of a traditional holiday by the sea, along with the zest and good humour of ordinary people released from their everyday routine.

* The Heart is Highland (1952) - One of the most popular of all the BTF films shows aspects of the lives of Highlanders, linking developments in industry, agriculture and transport with the country's dramatic past.

* Any Man's Kingdom (1956) - Previously unavailable in the BTF series, this stunning film also captures the heart-warming Northumbrian atmosphere.

* The England of Elizabeth (1957) - This triple international award-winning film looks back in wonder at the Shakespearean era and the time of the first Queen Elizabeth, with commentary narrated by Alec Clunes and a score by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Disc 1
  • West Country Journey (1953, col, 26mins)
  • Letter for Wales (1960, col & b&w, 25mins)
  • Cyclists Special (1955, col, 16mins)
  • Holiday (1957, col, 18mins)
  • The Heart is Highland (1952, col, 20mins)
  • Any Man's Kingdom (1956, col, 20mins)
Disc 2
  • Glasgow Belongs to Me (1966, 17mins)
  • The England of Elizabeth (1957, col, 27mins)
  • Capital Visit (1955, col, 20mins)
  • The Heart of England (1954, col, 20mins)
  • East Anglian Holiday (1954, col, 20mins)
  • The Coasts of Clyde (1959, col, 20mins)
Extras

A booklet containing an introduction and film notes by BTF historian Steven Foxon accompanies the discs.



Availability: AVAILABLE
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3-1.33:1 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 2 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 249-mins (4hr 9min)

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British Transport Films Collection Vol. 3: Running a Railway (237-mins) (2xDVD)

British Transport Films Collection Vol. 3: Running a Railway (237-mins) (2xDVD)


Ref: BV120D


Price:£19.96

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Running a Railway is the third release in the BFI's digitally re-mastered double-disc DVD series of British Transport Films, combining favourites from the much loved and best-selling video series with additional material. This new collection contains four hours of footage including the multi-award-winning Terminus, directed by John Schlesinger.

Among the rare gems are:

* Farmer Moving South (1952) - The true story of a Yorkshire farmer who decided to sell his land and move his entire stock - cattle, pigs and poultry, machinery, ploughs and tractors - south to Sussex by rail in December on what was the coldest night of the year.

* I am a Litter Basket (1959) - Every day, the people who use railway stations drop hundreds of tons of litter all over the place, while me and my mates have to stand by, empty and starving. Until, one day, we get so desperate, we go foraging for ourselves. And what happens? Take a look at this film. It makes me weep to think of it. I nearly gave up all hope, until - but wait and see!

* Modelling for the Future (1961) - Visions of an earlier Channel Tunnel scheme and a model of the proposed terminal. This film demonstrates a range of facilities and shows the possibilities of an age-old dream - a dry land crossing between England and France.

* The Third Sam (1962) - Sam Smith is taught to drive an electric locomotive. He learns the new job without difficulty but one day his train breaks down and Sam summons up three sides of his character to deal with the emergency. With narration, in typical rhyming monologue, by Stanley Holloway, this is an original and amusing approach to instructional filmmaking.

* E for Experimental (1975) - An account of the development of British Rail's experimental Advanced Passenger Train (APT) The film explains in simple terms some of the many novel design features of the APT, including the tilt mechanism and the hydro-kinetic brake, and shows the train in action during its trials.

Disk 1
  • Operation London Bridge (1975/col/18mins)
  • Wires Over the Border (1974/col/18mins)
  • Groundwork for Progress (1959/b&w/30mins)
  • Making Tracks (1956/b&w/17mins)
  • E for Experimental (1975/col/20mins)
  • Modelling for the Future (1961/col/8mins)
  • Britannia - A Bridge (1973/col/19mins)
Disc Two
  • Terminus (1961/col/20mins)
  • Fully Fitted Freight (1957/b&w/21mins)
  • Farmer Moving South (1952/b&w/17mins)
  • I am a Litter Basket (1959/b&w/7mins)
  • The Third Sam (1962/b&w/10mins)
  • People Like Us (1962/b&w/9mins)
  • A Future on Rail (1957/b&w/10mins)
Extras

A booklet containing an introduction and film notes by BTF historian Steven Foxon accompanies the discs.



Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol. 4: Reshaping British Railways (247-mins)

British Transport Films Collection Vol. 4: Reshaping British Railways (247-mins)


Ref: BV121D


Price:£20.40

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The fourteen films of Reshaping British Railways take a look at significant events from 1951 to 1978, highlighting the case for change to a cleaner, more efficient motive power. The films look at the 'Indian summer' of steam traction, the Modernisation Plan of 1955 and its introduction of the diesel rail-car, the 'reshaping' or pruning of the network masterminded by Dr Richard Beeching, British Rail's progress into the 1960s with the Inter-City and Freightliner concepts, and the approach to the new age of the High Speed Train.

The DVD contains classics of their time like Wash and Brush Up, Service for Southend, Forward to First Principles, Plumb-Loco, Overture One-Two-Five and the famous Let's Go To Birmingham. Also included are rarities such as A Place in the Team, Freight and a City and Second Nature, which have never previously been available to watch at home.

All these films are now preserved in the BFI National Archive. They have been digitally re-mastered for this release, which will fascinate not only transport enthusiasts but also fans of historical British documentary film making

A colour booklet containing an introduction and film notes by BTF historian Steven Foxon who programmes this series accompanies the discs.

Disk 1
  • Work in Progress (1951)
  • Wash and Brush Up (1953)
  • A Place in the Team (1953)
  • Service for Southend (1957)
  • Diesel Train Ride (1959)
  • Let's Go to Birmingham (1962)
  • Reshaping British Railways (1963)
Disc two
  • Forward to First Principles (1966)
  • Freight and a City (1966)
  • Second Nature (1967)
  • The New Tradition (1968)
  • Plumb-Loco (1971)
  • This Year by Rail (1972)
  • Overture One-Two-Five (1978)



Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol. 5: Off the Beaten Track (304-mins) (2xDVD)

British Transport Films Collection Vol. 5: Off the Beaten Track (304-mins) (2xDVD)


Ref: BV124D


Price:£20.40

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Films included in this DVD earned BTF some of its highest accolades, including an Oscar for Wild Wings (Best short live action subject in 1966) and Oscar nominations for Journey into Spring (1957) and Between the Tides (1958). Among the rare gems here are The Scene from Melbury House and An Artist Looks At Churches .

All these films are now preserved in the BFI National Archive. They have been digitally re-mastered for this collection, which will fascinate not only transport enthusiasts but also fans of historical British documentary filmmaking. A colour booklet containing an introduction and film notes by BTF historian Steven Foxon who programmes this series accompanies the discs.

Disk 1
  • Ocean Terminal (1952)
  • Dodging the Column (1952)
  • Link Span (1956)
  • Every Valley (1957)
  • Journey into Spring (1957)
  • Between the Tides (1958)
  • Giant Load (1958)
Disk two
  • They Take the High Road (1960)
  • Wild Highlands (1961)
  • Wild Wings (1965)
  • An Artist Looks at Churches (1959)
  • Railways For Ever! (1970)
  • The Scene From Melbury House (1972)
  • Age of Invention (1975)
  • Seaspeed Express (1980)



Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol. 6: The Art of Travel (212-mins) (2xDVD)

British Transport Films Collection Vol. 6: The Art of Travel (212-mins) (2xDVD)


Ref: BV125D


Price:£19.96

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Following the nationalisation of transport in 1948, the British Transport Commission set up its own in-house film production unit. Launched May 1st 1949 and led for 25 years by Edgar Anstey - a founding father of the British documentary movement - it became one of the largest industrial film units in Britain. All these films are now preserved in the BFI National Archive.

This selection has been digitally remastered for this two-disc set, which is a must for any transport enthusiast, but also for the documentary aficionado who will recognise traits and innovations in British non-fiction filmmaking.

Films included are as follows:

North to the Dales (1962, Colour, 19 minutes)

The Yorkshire Dales - 'from which no traveller wishes to return'. Sheltering under the Pennines, the Dales have escaped the human ravages of time. There is magic here; skysweeping hillsides and weirdly weathered rocks; Wensleydale cheese; ruined abbeys and castles and standing drystone walls; fellracing and potholing, photography, traditional songs and a commentary spoken by Robert Shaw. 16mm & 35mm

Yorkshire Sands (1955, Colour, 15 minutes)

Light verse and gay music make their own comment on the holidaymakers of the Yorkshire coastline. Between Tees and Humber thousands each year enjoy the sea and the sands, the funfair and the ballroom: for a row or romance, there's something for each! 16mm & 35mm

Down to Sussex (1965, Colour, 17 minutes)

Sussex - A country rich in scenic beauty and history. South Down and Weald - open space and green woodland. This is Sussex, a county rich in scenic beauty, seaside resorts and international events; peaceful downland villages and fertile weald. History shows itself everywhere, right back to the threshold of legend - The Long Man of Wilmington and Chanctonbury Ring. All this the traveller can see and enjoy, together with the present-day delights of, for example, the Petworth Show, Goodwood Races, polo at Cowdray Park, Glyndebourne, and the fun of the Sussex coast.

The Land of Robert Burns (1956, Colour, 21 minutes)

This short, evocative account of the poet's life is set among contemporary scenes of the people of south-west Scotland as they grow from children to manhood. A representative selection of his songs takes on fresh significance when heard against a background of the people and the countryside he knew and loved. The film's score is by Cedric Thorpe Davie, and the songs are sung by the Saltire Singers. It was directed by Stewart McAllister. 16mm & 35mm

Journey into History (1952, Colour, 10 minutes)

In the cities of Britain we can travel in time as well as space. This film chooses the England of Hogarth, Gainsborough, Robert Adam and Captain Cook. As the camera moves across outstanding monuments of their work and relics of their achievements from Syon House to Greenwich, members of the Old Vic Company speak appropriate passages from the literature of the mid-eighteenth century. The musical score was specially composed by the late Sir Arnold Bax. 16mm & 35mm

Midland Country (1974, Colour, 20 minutes)

Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire - eleven Midland counties which can offer the holidaymaker a variety of pleasures and some of the lovliest English countryside. 16mm & VC

The Travolators (1961, Colour, 8 minutes)

Approximately 40,000 people use the Waterloo & City Underground line every day. For years they had walked to and from the platforms at the Bank by a steep passage known as the 'Drain'. But know, they can ride up and down on the first moving pavements in Europe - the Travolators. This film shows the construction of the Travolators which was achieved without disrupting normal traffic. 16mm & 35mm

Journey to the Sea (1952, 17 minutes)

This is the story of a lorry's solitary journey with a new propeller for a trawler laid up in a port on the rugged sea-coast of Wales. For the lorry-driver and his mate it is all in a day's work; minor mishaps are overcome on the journey from Preston through the beautiful Welsh countryside. The story ends with the trawler on its way to sea. 16mm & 35mm

London for a Day (1962, Colour, 14.5 minutes)

Impressions of a great city from daybreak to dusk. A roving camera and smooth theme music say more than words. London's traditional sights - Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Royal Parks, the Zoo, etc., await their visitors in the early morning. While a young motor-cyclist hurries by, to work on the pleasure boat he conducts along the Thames; a Beefeater goes on duty at the Tower; and the visitors hurry into London by bus and coach. The film conjures up the mood of a variety of London scenes and events throughout the day until a sightseeing-bus tour gives the visitor a last chance to catch up by night on anything he may have missed during the day. 16mm & 35mm

The Beacons and Beyond (1979, Colour, 28 minutes)

South Wales is an area of great natural beauty - from the Brecon Beacons in the north of the area to the rugged coastline of Pembrokeshire in the south. It is a land of attractive market towns and ancient castles, of hill and forest landscapes. This film covers many aspects of life in a region whose abundant attractions for the holidaymaker are made readily accessible by rail and road. 16mm & V.C.

A Desperate Case (1958, 10 minutes)

A cautionary tale of a typical holiday suitcase. Crammed beyond its capacity, imperfectly fastened, inadequately and confusedly labelled, the railways transport it from station to station, seeking its true abode. Finally, one of its owners comes to the nightmare tribunal where those who maltreat their luggage are dealt with. Did it happen? Was it a dream? Be warned. See this film. Avoid making yours 'a desperate case'. 16mm & 35mm

Lancashire Coast (1957, Colour, 18 minutes)

A coasts of contrasts - yet each aspect offering something to the holidaymakers arriving by train or coach. You may choose the gaeity and excitement of the national Beauty Contest finals held annually at Morecambe, or you may prefer the world's largest flower show at Southport. You can walk on the lovely quiet coast of the Lake District at Grange-over-Sands or claim a seat on the roller-coaster at Blackpool. You can fish, go sand-yachting at St. Annes, play golf or watch the wild fowl on the lonely Pilling Marshes. 16mm & 35mm

Golfers in a Scottish Landscape (1971, Colour, 21.5 minutes)

Two visitors enjoying Scotland, an enthusiastic but inexperienced golfer improving on the world's greatest courses; his wife exploring spectacular places visited by the first known lady golfer in history - Mary, Queen of Scots. The commentary of Scot's actor Andrew Crawford links romantic past with sporting present in a film which captures the flavour of the country and its national game. This film won the Gold Camera Award at the 1973 US Industrial Film Festival, Chicago, USA. 16mm



Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol.10: London on the Move (201-mins)

British Transport Films Collection Vol.10: London on the Move (201-mins)


Ref: BV146D


Price:£19.94











Volume ten in this hugely popular series of double-DVD sets presents a selection of films produced by BTF for London Transport in the post-war period and explores both the bus and underground networks in documentary classics such as All That Mighty Heart, Under Night Streets and Overhaul, as well as rare gems like Power Signal Lineman and Our Canteens.

This digitally remastered collection is a must, not only for the transport enthusiast, but also for the documentary aficionado.

Disk one: All that Mighty Heart (1963) - Our Canteens (1951) - One for One (1964) - The Nine Road (1975) - Cine Gazette No.14: Do You Remember? (1955) - London on the Move (1970).

Disk two: Under Night Streets (1958) - Power Signal Lineman (1953) - Omnibus 150 (1979)Cine Gazette No. 10 (1951) - Moving London (1983) - AFC: Automatic Fare Collection and You (1969) - Overhaul (1957).

Special features: Moving Millions (1947, 16 mins): A Central Office of Information film made by the Crown Film Unit illustrating the scope of London Transport activities at their most extensive including footage of bus, underground, tram and trollybus operations.

>>>CURRENTLY NOT IN STOCK & OUT OF PRODUCTION<<<



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Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol.11: Experiment under London

British Transport Films Collection Vol.11: Experiment under London


Ref: BV148D


Price:£19.94













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Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol.12: The Driving Force

British Transport Films Collection Vol.12: The Driving Force


Ref: BV149D


Price:£19.94













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Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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British Transport Films Collection Vol.13: On the Right Track

British Transport Films Collection Vol.13: On the Right Track


Ref: BV150D


Price:£19.99











British Transport Films was established in 1949 to focus a spotlight on transport as a Nationalised undertaking, to create an appetite for travel and to entice the public to use nationalised transport. Over a period of more than 35 years BTF produced an unrivalled documentary film legacy for generations of film and transport enthusiasts.

BTF on DVD makes its triumphant return on this 2-disc set featuring 14 films, 13 of which are available for the first time and have been newly scanned in 2K. The 13th volume in this long running series includes Track 125, Rubbish By Rail and Careful Charlie!.


Disk 1:

  • We're in Business Too! (1964, 23 mins)

  • British Rail is Travelling (1969, 8 mins)

  • Careful Charlie! (1970, 4 mins)

  • The Class 86 Locomotive (1970, 26 mins)

  • People in Railways (1970, 20 mins)

  • Having a Fresh Look (1970, 34 mins)

  • Solutions? (1972, 8 mins)

    Disk 2:

    • What's Tops? (1974, 20 mins)
    • Rubbish By Rail (1977, 6 mins)
    • The Stage is Yours (1979, 13 mins)
    • The 75 Tonne High Capacity Crane (1980, 28 mins)
    • Track 125 (1981, 20 mins)
    • Promises promises (1982, 23 mins)
    • A New Approach to Hong Kong (1982, 22 mins)

    Includes fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the films by BFI curators Steve Foxon, Patrick Russell and Jez Stewart and post-war transport historian and enthusiast Stephen Edwards



    Availability: AVAILABLE
    Filmed by/when: 1964-1982
    Sound: Dolby Digital Mono (320-kps)
    First published on DVD: August 2019
    Screen aspect ratio: 1.37:1 SD
    Classification: Exempt
    Number of discs: 2 DVD
    Media Format: DVD-R

    Running Time: 244-mins (4hr 4mins) , Colour and Black & White
    .

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  • The Lost World of Friese-Green [2006] (177-mins)

    The Lost World of Friese-Green [2006] (177-mins)


    Ref: BV112D


    Price:£19.99











    In the mid-1920s, pioneering film-maker Claude Friese-Greene made a series of films during an intrepid drive from Land's End to John O'Groats in the early days of the motor car. Claude's remarkable films were shot in pioneering early colour using a process he'd invented himself at a time when the world was filmed in black and white.

    In this three part series, The Lost World of Friese-Greene, presenter Dan Cruickshank traces the original route in a vintage car, tracking relatives of the people who appear in the films. Dan also shows footage to people who appeared in the films as children and are seeing themselves on film for the first time 80 years later.

    Film one starts in the West Country as Dan Cruickshank uncovers radical changes in rural traditions from cider-making to stag hunting and takes a look back at holiday fun at the seaside. Film two picks up his journey in Cirencester, travels onwards to Wales through the Midlands and North to Lancashire and the Lakes. In the final episode, he journeys through Scotland, meeting local experts and descendants of people in the films, with breathtaking scenery all the way.

    This unique archive of Friese-Greene's footage, preserved and restored by the BFI, reveals many things in the UK that have changed in 80 years, as well as, surprisingly, what has remained.

    A BBC/BFI co-production.



    Availability: AVAILABLE
    Classification: Exempt
    Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
    Media Format: DVD-R


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    LOST WORLD MITCHELL/KENYON (??-mins)

    LOST WORLD MITCHELL/KENYON (??-mins)


    Ref: BV122D


    Price:£20.40

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    Availability: AVAILABLE
    Classification: Exempt
    Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
    Media Format: DVD-R


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    Geoffrey Jones: The Rhythm of Film [1956] (86-mins)

    Geoffrey Jones: The Rhythm of Film [1956] (86-mins)


    Ref: BV118D


    Price:£19.96

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    Since the 1950s Geoffrey Jones has been making films that look, sound and feel like nothing else.The Rhythm of Film describes a key element to what makes his work so special.

    In such films as BTFs Snow and Rail, and Trinidad and Tobago images react, combine and dance together to create a living, pulsing journey. In his final BTF film Locomotion the entire history of the British railways is illustrated through an accelerating frenzy of rhythm.

    One surprising fact is that Jones has most often used the Industrial Short to express his art in this way, but his unique vision is also revealed in full with such personal works as his Seasons Project and A Chair-a-Plane films. With his extraordinary marriage of images, music and rhythm, Geoffrey Jones ranks alongside such luminaries as Norman McLaren, and Len Lye and remains one of Britain's true film artists.

    DVD contents

    Snow (8 mins)

    Rail (13 mins)

    Locomotion (15 mins)

    Trinidad and Tobago (19 mins)

    Shell Spirit (2 mins)

    This is Shell (8 mins)

    Seasons Project (12 mins)

    A Chair-a-Plane Kwela (3 mins)

    A Chair-a-Plane Flamenco (6 mins)

    DVD extra: 31-minute filmed interview with Geoffrey Jones (2004)



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    Classification: Exempt
    Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
    Media Format: DVD-R


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