This film is part of Free
Libyan Desert - Bagnold
Ralph Bagnold, pioneer of desert exploration, pushed the limits of automotive technology, culminating in his 1932 expedition – the first east-west crossing of the Libyan Desert.
Overview
The film records Bagnold’s innovative expeditions using adapted Model Ford cars and Renault lorries to access unknown sites of prehistoric settlement and cave painting, as well as documenting sand dune structure and movement in the Western Desert of the Sahara Desert, which covers eight percent of the earth’s land area. Wildlife and human life is concentrated around a few oases which are featured in the film.
The expedition party included: Bagnold, Craig, Holland, Prendergast, Newbold, Burridge, Fernie and Shaw, Paterson, Harding-Newman and Boustead. Bagnold went on to form the British Army’s Long Range Desert Group during World War II. His scientific research into sand dunes informed NASA’s work in space exploration, to the extent that the Bagnold Dunes on Mars are named after him.
Related
Climbing Mount Everest Climbing Mount Everest
Non-Fiction 1933 32 mins Silent
A fascinating glimpse into life at high altitude for the party of the Mount Everest Expedition 1933 which intended, but ultimately failed to summit Everest.
Amazon; Dr Hamilton Rice Amazon; Dr Hamilton Rice
1926 91 mins Silent
Take a journey with Dr Hamilton Rice as he embarks on his final expedition of the easterly tributaries of the Amazonian basin.
The Conquest of Everest The Conquest of Everest
Documentary 1953 78 mins
Colour film (narrated by Meredith Edwards) telling the story of the ‘Mount Everest Expedition 1953’, which saw the first successful ascent of the mountain.
Scenes from Around the World Scenes from Around the World
Amateur film 1947 9 mins Silent
Short colour, silent, compilation of unedited film footage giving a snapshot of life in various countries in the year 1947.
Nine Countries in Ninety Minutes Nine Countries in Ninety Minutes
Travelogue 1937 63 mins Silent
Amateur film travelogue of a journey around various parts of the world in 1937, by Frances Hotham F.R.G.S, A.R.P.S.
Tanzania Tanzania
1969 16 mins Silent
A colour film of African wildlife by the ‘Ker, Downey and Selby Safari Company’, set up by Donald Ker, Sydney Downey and Harry Selby.
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.