Land of Promise - British Documentary Movement - 40 Films (1930-1950) - 4-DVD Box Set ( Industrial Britain / Shipyard / Workers & Jobs / Housing Problems / People of Britain / Children at School / Farewell Topsails / Today We Live / Eastern Valley / People of Britain / If War Should Come / Britain at Bay / Transfer of Skill / They Also Serve ) ( Tomorrow is Theirs / Words for Battle / Ordinary People / Five & Under / Night Shift / The Countrywoman / Summer on the Farm / Listen to Britain / Builders / Words and Actions / A Diary for Timothy / Land of Promise / The Balance / What a Life! )

Land of Promise - British Documentary Movement - 40 Films (1930-1950) - 4-DVD Box Set (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: Industrial Britain / Shipyard / Workers & Jobs / Housing Problems / People of Britain / Children at School / Farewell Topsails / Today We Live / Eastern Valley / People of Britain / If War Should Come / Britain at Bay / Transfer of Skill / They Also Serve
Alternate Title: Tomorrow is Theirs / Words for Battle / Ordinary People / Five & Under / Night Shift / The Countrywoman / Summer on the Farm / Listen to Britain / Builders / Words and Actions / A Diary for Timothy / Land of Promise / The Balance / What a Life!
Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Mono )
English ( Subtitles )

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

Running Time:
720 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Box Set
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Documentary
Interactive Menu
Multi-DVD Set
Scene Access
Black & White
Booklet

Movie filmed in 1931 - 1950 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Paul Rotha

Written By:
Miles Malleson
Wolfgang Wilhelm

Actors:
Frederick Allen ..... Observer
Elizabeth Cowell ..... The Woman
Henry Hallett ..... The Husband
Herbert Lomas ..... History
Miles Malleson ..... Mr Know-Al
John Mills ..... The Voic
Marjorie Rhodes ..... The Housewife

Synopsis:

Featuring 40 films over four DVDs, this extensive collection is a major retrospective of the British documentary film movement during its period of greatest influence. These films many of which are made available here for the first time since their original release capture the spirit and strength, concerns and resolve of Britain and its people before, during and after the Second World War. Bearing witness to the social and industrial transformations of a rapidly changing world, these fascinating historical documents are all striking for their different approaches to the form. Using poetry, dramatic reconstruction, modernist techniques and explicit propaganda, the filmmakers found fresh, new ways to get their message across. Bringing together celebrated and lesser-known works from such luminaries as Paul Rocha, Humphrey Jennings, Ruby Grierson, Basil Wright and Paul Dickson, this landmark release is accompanied by a 64-page book of essays by leading film historians and experts. A companion collection, Shadows of Progress: Documentary film in post-war Britain 1951-1977, is also available on BFI DVD.

LAND OF PROMISE is a diverse collection of documentary films that capture the zeitgeist of Britain during the Second World War. Some are classics, others are lesser-known but no less influential. Disc 1: INDUSTRIAL BRITAIN (1931, Robert Flaherty), SHIPYARD (1935, Paul Rotha), WORKERS AND JOBS (1935, Arthur Elton), HOUSING PROBLEMS (1935, Arthur Elton, Edgar Anstey), PEOPLE OF BRITAIN (1936, Paul Rotha), CHILDREN AT SCHOOL (1937, Basil Wright), FAREWELL TOPSAILS (1937, Humphrey Jennings), TODAY WE LIVE (1937, Ruby Grierson, Ralph Bond), EASTERN VALLEY (1937, Paul Rotha, Donald Alexander), PEOPLE OF BRITAIN (1936, Paul Rotha), IF WAR SHOULD COME (GPO, 1939)
Disc 2: BRITAIN AT BAY (1940, Harry Watt), TRANSFER OF SKILL (1940, Geoffrey Bell), THEY ALSO SERVE (1940, Ruby Grierson), TOMORROW IS THEIRS (1940, James Carr), WORDS FOR BATTLE (1941, Humphrey Jennings), ORDINARY PEOPLE (1941, Jack Lee, J.B. Holmes), FIVE AND UNDER (1941, Donald Alexander), NIGHT SHIFT (1942, J.D. Chambers), THE COUNTRYWOMAN (1942, John Page), SUMMER ON THE FARM (1943, Ralph Keene), LISTEN TO BRITAIN (1942, Humphrey Jennings, Stewart McAllister), BUILDERS (1942, Pat Jackson), WORDS AND ACTIONS (1943, Max Anderson), A DIARY FOR TIMOTHY (1946, Humphrey Jennings)
Disc 3: LAND OF PROMISE (1946, Paul Rotha), THE BALANCE (1946, Paul Rotha), WHAT A LIFE! (1947, Law), THE DIM LITTLE ISLAND (1948, Jennings), BRITAIN CAN MAKE IT NO 1 (1946, Francis Gysin), FENLANDS (1945, Ken Annakin), CHILDREN'S CHARTER (1945, Gerard Bryant), CHASING THE BLUES (1947, Chambers, Ellitt), COTTON COME BACK (1946, Donald Alexander), FIVE TOWNS (1947, Bishop)
Disc 4: A PLAN TO WORK ON (1948, Mander), MINING REVIEW 2ND YEAR NO 11 (1949, Pickering), FROM THE GROUND UP (1950, CFU), TRANSPORT (1950, Bradford), THE UNDEFEATED (1950, Dickson), FAMILY PORTRAIT (1950, Jennings).

Collection of classic and lesser-known documentaries released between 1930 and 1950. The films capture the spirit and strength, concerns and resolve of Britain before, during and after World War II. Among the 40 films featured are Paul Rotha's 'Shipyard', Arthur Elton's 'Housing Problems', and Humphrey Jennings' 'Word for Battle', 'Listen to Britain' and 'A Diary for Timothy'.

This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 10 December, 2015.