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
The Glade
A family picnic takes a sinister turn in this off-kilter supernatural tale set in 1970s Cleveland.
From the collection of:
Overview
Lost in the woods … here’s a dash of distinctly 70s English amateur weirdness from the Cleveland Cine Club of Middlesbrough, pitched somewhere between Peter Weir’s hypnotic Australian drama “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (released in 1975) and 60s American TV series, “The Twilight Zone”. A tragic mother returns to the site of her children’s disappearance in a forest glade dappled with sunlight and steeped in supernatural menace.
One of the stranger productions by Cleveland Cine Club, this film earned a Movie Maker Competition ‘Ten Best’ two star rating. The cast includes Betty Cook, President of the Cleveland Cine Society and North East Cine Society, herself a prolific amateur filmmaker working between 1964 and 1986. The sound track was recorded on separate magnetic stripe and added to the Kodachrome 8mm film in post-production. This detached sound and dubbed speech creates a haunting mood that permeates the silent images, heightened by a curious selection of bargain basement 70s music.
Related
Watch for free
The Ice Tower - Extended Q&A The Ice Tower - Extended Q&A
Inside Film 2026 36 mins
Writer-director Lucile Hadžihalilović explains how she spun her own dark fairy tale out of Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen.
Watch for free
New Perspectives: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror New Perspectives: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
Short documentary 2025 3 mins
Harry Coghlan of Northumbria University explains why FW Murnau's 1922 vampire story is an endlessly intriguing work of art.
Watch for free
New Perspectives: La Haine New Perspectives: La Haine
Short documentary 2025 4 mins
Charlie Hammersley, a student from Northumbria University, explains how Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film holds up a mirror to society.
Watch for free
Dreamers Q&A Dreamers Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
The film-makers behind a haunting tale of love and community within a UK immigration detention centre visited the BFI Southbank to discuss their film.
Watch for free
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 50 mins
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation at BFI Southbank, discussing the making of One Battle After Another.
Watch for free
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.