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.
This film is part of Free
Senghenydd - Glamorgan, South Wales, portrait of a mining town
50 years after the Senghenydd mining disaster the town has changed, with new saw mill, bingo halls and television, but has the devastated community managed to resurrect itself?
From the collection of:
Overview
Warwick company newsreel material of the Universal Colliery at Senghenydd on fire after an explosion on 14th October 1913, and footage of a funeral procession for some of the 439 mine workers who were killed, is followed by a collage of images of the town and its people as they are 50 years later. Wynford Vaughan Thomas, narrating his own commentary, wonders if "colour"- superficial re-decoration – can really make any difference to "the inner heart of Senghenydd".
James Clark shot this film on spare, blank pieces of film left over from his editing of the 1964 film 'Charade' (he went on to edit 'The World is Not Enough', 'The Killing Fields', for which he won an Oscar, and 'Vera Drake'). Bill Probert, a local amateur photographer and former miner (heard on the soundtrack) assisted Clark with his knowledge of the locality and the people. Wynford Vaughan Thomas wrote and narrated the script and the question at the heart of it is what kind of future a community can possibly have following such a tragedy. None of the inhabitants are interviewed but the overall impression is the obvious one – that life goes on, in some way or other, whatever the past.
Related
Southgate Celebrates The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Southgate (1953) Southgate Celebrates The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Southgate (1953)
Non-Fiction 1953 24 mins Location: Southgate
Cowboys, chess and carnival queens in this wonderful colour film made to mark the “new Elizabethan age” in Southgate’s Coronation celebrations in 1953.
Coal on the Doorstep Coal on the Doorstep
Documentary 1974 8 mins Location: Cowdenbeath
Locals have strong feelings about the pros and cons of the new open cast mine in Cowdenbeath, Fife.
Tram Rides through Nottingham Tram Rides through Nottingham
Non-Fiction 1902 6 mins Silent Location: Nottingham
Filmmakers Mitchell and Kenyon conduct an evocative ride through Edwardian Nottingham.
Jemima + Johnny Jemima + Johnny
1966 29 mins Location: Notting Hill
Touching short about the friendship between a white boy and a black girl in 1960s Notting Hill.
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.
StoryTrails: The People's Map Dundee StoryTrails: The People's Map Dundee
Documentary 2022 14 mins Location: Dundee
This map showcases a curated selection of audio stories and digitally animated 3D scans of the people and places in and around Dundee.
Senghenydd Disaster - military funeral of victims 23rd Nov. 1913 Senghenydd Disaster - military funeral of victims 23rd Nov. 1913
Non-Fiction 1913 5 mins Silent Location: Senghenydd
A bereaved community starts to bury its dead after the worst mine disaster in Britain – an explosion at Universal Colliery, Senghenydd, on 14/10/1913, killing 439 men/boys.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.