Shooting The Past - 2-DVD Set

Shooting The Past - 2-DVD Set (DVD) (*)

~~$25.99~~ $19.97

Screened, competed or awarded at:
BAFTA Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
194 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen

Special Features:
2-DVD Set
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Commentary
Interactive Menu
Photo Gallery
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1999 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Stephen Poliakoff

Written By:
Stephen Poliakoff

Actors:
Lindsay Duncan ..... Marilyn Truman
Timothy Spall ..... Oswald Bates
Liam Cunningham ..... Christopher Anderson
Billie Whitelaw ..... Veronica
Emilia Fox ..... Spig
Arj Barker ..... Garnett
Blake Ritson ..... Nick
Sheila Dunne ..... Molly (as Sheila Dunn)
Jean Channon ..... Dinner Lady
Jennifer House ..... Dinner Lady
Geoffrey Beevers ..... Doctor (as Geoffery Beevers)
Lesley McGuire ..... Nurse (as Leslie McGuire)
Andy Serkis ..... Styeman

Synopsis:

A country house situated in the London suburbs holds a collection of photography dating back through the last century. Plans have been raised to divide the collection and turn the house into a business school.... Three-part drama written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff about the battle to save a vast photographic library. A US property developer finds the library employees still ensconced in a London building he's come to renovate. After unsuccessfully trying to sell the pictures to an advertising agency Marilyn makes a personal plea to Anderson. Meanwhile, Oswald begins an investigation into Anderson after seeing a picture of his mother in the library.

This 1999 British film pits idealistic overseers of a London photography collection against a pragmatic American entrepreneur exercising his right to evict them from a mansion he has purchased. The photo collection is one of the world's largest, containing ten million pictures which the staff files, maintains, and rents to various media. From an aesthetic standpoint, the collection - dating all the way back to the beginning of photography in the 19th century - is priceless. The key question is what will happen to it, for wealthy American businessman Christopher Anderson (Liam Cunningham) owns not only the building, but also the collection itself. After announcing plans to remodel the mansion into a state-of-the-art business school, he threatens to destroy all but the most valuable photographs because there's no time, according to his rat-race schedule, to find a new repository for them. Feisty curator Marilyn Truman (Lindsay Duncan) and her eccentric assistant, Oswald Bates (Timothy Spall), then hatch plots to thwart his plans. First, they 'mislay' a selection of highly valuable photographs. When that stratagem doesn't work, Truman persuades Anderson to look at several stacks of the ordinary, less valuable photographs. These photographs turn out to be extraordinary. One set tells the poignant story of a Jewish family victimized by the holocaust. The images impress Anderson, but he refuses to alter his plans. Then Bates launches an ingenious scheme. Using his incredible 'photographic' memory, he selects a few startling photos from among the millions -- photos that have a connection to Anderson's past. These photographs, and the secrets they hold, stun Anderson while demonstrating the variety and vastness of the collection. Will he alter his plans to save the collection? Meanwhile, Bates, believing his scheme has failed, attempts suicide, and the final moments of the film reveal whether Bates and the photos will survive.

A US property developer realises that he has a battle on his hands when he tries to renovate a London building containing a vast photographic collection and discovers that the library employees will resort to anything to thwart him.

This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 05 July, 2007.