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

My River Tyne
An unusual mix of pastel, photos, film and line drawings conjures a story of the River Tyne, from its source at the Scottish border to its mouth at South Shields.
Documentary 1986 7 mins
From the collection of:

Overview
An eclectic mix of documentary footage, photographs and original artwork combine to tell a stirring story of the River Tyne as it flows from the Scottish borders into the North Sea at South Shields. Celebrated animator Sheila Graber weaves together industrial history shipyards, coal staithes, colliers, docks and fish quays - with fragments from a childhood as the daughter of a Tyne Pilot Master.
An independent short by Graber, My River Tyne is one of several animations that draw on her Geordie background. It is imbued with memories of a father, Captain GW Graber, who commanded the Tyne pilots that negotiated tides, channels and currents to guide ships on the river between 1948 and 1964. The film now serves as an elegy for the lost industrial culture on Tyneside. This was the first time the artist experimented with a combination of 16mm live action footage and animation, a hugely complex process without the aid of computers. The animation was part of a programme of work that won a coveted Tyneside Cinemas Tyne Award.
Related
The Camera is Ours: Britain's Women Documentary Makers

Frida Kahlo & Tina Modotti Frida Kahlo & Tina Modotti
Documentary 1983 30 mins
Immerse yourself in the work of Frida Kahlo and Tina Modotti - icons of the Mexican Renaissance.

Once We Were Four Once We Were Four
Documentary 1942 9 mins
Innocent bunnies face an onslaught of badgers, bombs and birds of prey in this black comedy masquerading as a nature film.

Tunde's Film Tunde's Film
Documentary drama 1973 40 mins Location: Stepney
Tired of being hassled by the police and with no job opportunities, a group of teenage East End lads plan to rob a bank.

So This Is London So This Is London
Documentary 1933 14 mins Silent Location: Westminster
London at its best? This gorgeous lyrical portrait was made by pioneering female director Marion Grierson.

Black to Front Black to Front
Current affairs 1978 27 mins Location: Brixton
World in Action interviews the residents of Haycroft Road, Brixton as a controversial by-election stokes concerns about race and immigration.

Spring on the Farm Spring on the Farm
Documentary 1933 8 mins
The exhilaration of spring in the country – blossom, piglets, ducklings and more delights on the farm.
South Shields

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.

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.

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.

I Bird I Bird
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1983 5 mins Location: South Shields
Budgies for beginners: home comforts for birds explained to young pet owners.

How the Camel Got His Hump How the Camel Got His Hump
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1981 10 mins Location: South Shields
An engaging, hand painted animation of Rudyard Kipling’s origin tale about a work shy camel who gets the hump.

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.
New

How to Die Young in Manila How to Die Young in Manila
Drama 2020 12 mins
A teenage boy trails a group of young hustlers, thinking one of them may be his anonymous hook-up for the night.

The Summer of 12 The Summer of 12
Drama 2019 25 mins
Amongst the young members of a swimming team, the onset of puberty brings unwanted challenges.

Melt Melt
Drama 2018 12 mins
When Little Jia is asked to read his essay about how he spent Women's Day with his mother out loud in class, he has to hide the sad truth that only his friend Dong knows.

We Outlaws We Outlaws
Drama 2019 33 mins
China in the early 1990s. By day, Chen Shi is a man employed in a textile workshop. At night, she is a woman in a red dress. One evening, she falls in love with a man she meets at a dance hall.

Langit Budak Biru Langit Budak Biru
Drama 2018 23 mins
Two teenage boys in a Malaysian boarding school wrestle with the challenges of bullying and identity.

Kiss of the Rabbit God Kiss of the Rabbit God
Fantasy 2019 15 mins
A Chinese-American restaurant worker falls in love with an 18th century Qing dynasty god, who visits him at night and leads him on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery.