National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Land of the Red Dragon
Wales: seeped in history (castles) and clothed in modernity (sports and eating out). Why go elsewhere?
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Overview
Promotional film, narrated by actor Donald Houston, about Wales, where the hard-fought battles of the past have deposited tourist-attracting remains for the present (e.g. castles) and where opportunities for modern-day leisure pursuits are provided by the geography of the country. Visitors are assured that English is spoken but they can enjoy hearing “the ancient tongue”, and any doubts about temperance are fielded visually with full wine glasses and beer drinking.
This film was written and directed by Sarah Erulkar, from Calcutta, for the British Travel Association (in co-operation with The Wales Tourist and Holidays Association). She was committed to making documentaries only, amongst them the following which both won BAFTAs: ‘Picture to Post’ (1969), about the design of British postage stamps, and ‘The Living City’ (1977) about her birthplace and on which she shared the direction with her husband, film-maker Peter de Normanville.
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