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I Remember, I Remember (clip 4)

John Grierson introduces clips from 'Industrial Britain' and 'Coalface'

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Description

A personal account John Grierson of a life spent in documentary film-making This film which takes the form of a masterclass was screened at the 1968 Edinburgh Film Festival to mark John Grierson's 70th year and his importance to the development of the Scottish film and TV industry. In this clip Grierson talks more about 'Granton Trawler', and tells us that the fishing boat was later lost at sea. He also talks about industrial work and Industrial Britain and introduces clips from 'Industrial Britain' and 'Coalface'. Go to clip 5 of this film.

Questions & Activities

Questions

  • Listen to the film without picture from after the end of the Grierson interview. Write down what images come into your head and what you expect the film to be about. Now watch the film.
  • What different types of job can you see in the clip - are any of them still widely done in Scotland?
  • Is there anything unusual about the different sound techniques used?
  • Grierson says he wants to expand the range of people who are 'subjects for the cinema' -what examples of film and TV shows can you think off which mainly feature working class characters?
  • What were foundries - are there any left in Scotland?

Activities

Geography/History: Find out about which areas in Scotland were centres for mining or other heavy industries - what are economic conditions like there now?

History/English: The film presents mining in a positive light - find contrasting viewpoints (e.g. Orwell http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/mine/english/e_dtm)

Media Studies: Compare the techniques used in this clip with those used in Night Mail. Do you hear or see any similarities?

Clip Details

Record Id 007-000-000-283-C
Resource Rights Holder Granton Trawler and Coalface courtesy of Royal Mail Film Archive; John Greirson speaking - National Library of Scotland
Project Ref 2232
Date 1968
Genre Documentary, Tv Doc
School Subject Media Studies, Geography, Biology
Subject Matter Rivers and Coasts
Who Films of Scotland (sponsor), James Sutherland (director), John Grierson (writer), Scottish Television (production company)
Event Edinburgh Film Festival
Attributes Black and White, Colour, Sound
Clip Length 3:30
Film Length 53:08