The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Face to Face
Marking time on a face, a swift, bleak portrait of a man from cradle to grave.
From the collection of:
Overview
A performance in pastel, this swiftly drawn, ever-changing portrait with sound by South Shields animator Sheila Graber layers history and time on a face. From a cry at birth to chilling silence, the torrent of images remind us of our fate at an unsettling speed. Just ‘a brief flicker between two great silences’. Face to Face screened at the London Film Festival in 1983 and won a BBC Best Animation Award in 1984.
Related
Little Cinders Little Cinders
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1952 21 mins Location: Leeds
A magical film in many ways, a fairy tale story using trick photography and with artful and imaginative stop motion animation.
Pipe Dreams Pipe Dreams
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1965 3 mins Location: Wakefield
A once common object in many households becomes transformed into a quirky dancing troupe in this simple homespun animation.
Mr Eppynt a Clara'r Fuwch: Y Bunyip Mr Eppynt a Clara'r Fuwch: Y Bunyip
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1978 6 mins
A fair exchange is no robbery, perhaps. The Bunyip – an unknown quantity – takes the animated Mr Eppynt and Clara the Cow by surprise.
For Your Pleasure For Your Pleasure
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1970 4 mins Location: Flatford Mill
An iconic rural scene becomes a protest site for the bitter yet comic vision of prolific amateur animator Derek Phillips
The Battle of Wangapore The Battle of Wangapore
Amateur film 1955 9 mins Silent
Charge into this slick amateur cartoon from the Grasshopper Group which was three years in the making
Plastic Platitudes Plastic Platitudes
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1957 4 mins
Specially commended by ‘Amateur Cine World'. Nineteen fifties claymation by Douglas Butcher offering tongue-in-cheek advice for life.
South Shields Silver Jubilee Celebrations South Shields Silver Jubilee Celebrations
Amateur film 1977 6 mins Silent Location: South Shields
One big happy family on the streets of South Shields for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee visit.
How the Whale Got his Throat How the Whale Got his Throat
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1981 10 mins Location: South Shields
Travel into the belly of whale lore with Rudyard Kipling’s whimsical tale for little children.
Tyne and Tide Tyne and Tide
Amateur film 1980 8 mins Silent Location: South Shields
Going with the flow on the River Tyne at South Shields.
Moving On Moving On
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1976 4 mins Location: South Shields
Getting there: enjoy a racy history of transport and travel by land, sea and air.
Marking Time Marking Time
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1978 3 mins Location: South Shields
An uptempo look at man’s passionate obsession with time from first light to the dawn of the digital age.
Evolution Evolution
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1980 4 mins Location: South Shields
Staying alive, from a single cell to a big bang. Blink and you’ll miss the end.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.