Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive is a free public access resource for teachers, students, historians and anyone who has an interest in moving images. Spanning from 1897 to the present day, the films in the Digital Film Archive cover all aspects of life in Northern Ireland and includes everything from dramas to documentaries, newsreels and features, animation to amateur footage.
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A City Solitary
Doughty, hardworking and with hope in their hearts, can the city's people meet the challenges ahead and "build a bridge for Derry's future?"
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Overview
An expository documentary that contemplates the history of the city and the circumstances that have led to the divisions and disparity between the Catholic (working class) and the Protestant (merchant class) communities. The myriad economic and social causes of these divisions are examined: the decline in local industry, outward emigration and unemployment.
Terence McDonald (1926–2001) was a teacher, film historian, film collector and a pioneering amateur filmmaker from Derry. He made 35 films in his lifetime covering a wide range of themes such as mental health, travelling theatre, and portraits of his home town, Derry. His playful fiction films often pay homage to classic cinema moments from Peyton Place to Potemkin, from Chaplin to Jacques Tati. Terence McDonald undertook all aspects of production - filming, sound recording and editing and produced a body of remarkably sophisticated work. This film is courtesy of his son, Peter McDonald.
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