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Bonnie Edinburgh - a picturesque promotional film to attract tourists to the Scottish capital
Documentary 1934 10 mins Silent
Directed by Marion Grierson, who ran the film unit of the Travel and Industrial Development Association (TIDA), this short film contains some fine photography of the delights on offer to Edinburgh visitors - including trams, bustling streets, restful parks and some familiar tourist sights.
Despite living in the shadow of her brother John, the founding figure of the British documentary movement, and their tragically short-lived sister Ruby, Marion Grierson herself had an intriguing career in documentary filmmaking. Her style is notable for its inventive use of a sophisticated array of techniques combined with an assured lightness of touch. Her films were seen abroad more than in the UK, which perhaps explains why they are little known today. They provide a varied record of British life, and were nearly all made in the 1930s, at the height of the British documentary movement.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1990 24 mins
Autobiographical account of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring beauty standards and female sexuality.
Drama 1992 12 mins
A young black ballerina rejects prejudice and finds her African spirit in Swan Lake.
1994 20 mins
The fatal fascination with the myth of the black feminine mystique is uncovered in Ngozi Onwurah's short
1989 29 mins Location: Westminster
Britain beats to the sound of Bhangra and Bangla in Gurinder Chadha's debut film.
Travelogue 1937 12 mins Location: Finchingfield
Rural life in the Essex villages of Finchingfield and Great Bardfield - and the mixed reactions of older residents to changing times.
Documentary 1933 14 mins Silent Location: Westminster
London at its best? This gorgeous lyrical portrait was made by pioneering female director Marion Grierson.
Amateur film 1939 18 mins Silent Location: Edinburgh
This Scottish home movie takes in the delights of Edinburgh Zoo and picturesque Helensburgh on the Firth of Clyde.
Amateur film 1963 19 mins Silent Location: Holy Island
The toe-dipping delights and tranquillity of the Northumbrian Riviera and beyond.
Amateur film 1947 17 mins Silent Location: Edinburgh
Take in the length and breadth of majestic Scotland in this vibrant amateur travelogue
Amateur film 1936 13 mins Silent Location: Dollarbeg
Continuation of an amateur film capturing a family holiday in Dollarbeg Castle, including trips to Stirling and Edinburgh.
Documentary 1936 24 mins Location: Euston Sta
The flagship of the GPO Film Unit's output and a cornerstone of British documentary, featuring music by Benjamin Britten and the verse of W.H. Auden.
Non-Fiction 1925 1 mins Silent Location: Edinburgh
A short report on the winners of the marathon and sprint in Edinburgh - now known as the New Year Sprint
Documentary 2020 11 mins
Searching for one of the last people to speak Gayle - a secret language the gay community were forced to invent during Apartheid.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2017 4 mins
A comedy-drama animation about two best friends growing up in the same world but experiencing it completely differently.
Drama 2019 14 mins
An African Pentecostal Pastor questions everything she believes after a life-changing event.
Drama 2018 8 mins
Samona Olanipekun explores the concepts of home, identity and belonging, from the starting point of the theme of globalisation.
Drama 2017 16 mins
Compelling story of a complex relationship between an imperious father and his son.
Documentary 2020 28 mins
Three African American fathers unravel the incomparable partnership of forgiveness and community.
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