This film is part of Free
Paradox City
A call to action contrasting the grand homes of the wealthy with "the appalling shelter of thousands of decent citizens" in London slums.
Overview
A call to action, this film juxtaposes shots of the opulent homes of "the favoured few" with views of slums in Somers Town. Its style was probably inspired by the montage technique used by Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s, such as Eisenstein. The use of questions in the intertitles ("What chance has she?") demands audience engagement - a confrontational approach which is unusual for the period.
This film was produced by the St Pancras House Improvement Society which was prolific in its use of film as a fundraising tool, making over 20 films. It was vigorous in using shock tactics too - see also Challenge - War on Slums (1941). It later became the St Pancras Housing Association, and is now Origin Housing.
Related
Around the Village Green Around the Village Green
Travelogue 1937 12 mins Location: Finchingfield
Rural life in the Essex villages of Finchingfield and Great Bardfield - and the mixed reactions of older residents to changing times.
One Foot in Eden One Foot in Eden
Documentary 1978 49 mins Location: Orkney Islands
Orkney evoked through poetry, the sounds of nature, and the music of Peter Maxwell Davies.
A Day in the Hayfields A Day in the Hayfields
Non-Fiction 1904 3 mins Silent Location: Walton-on-Thames
Midsummer haymaking larks
West of England West of England
Industry sponsored film 1951 10 mins Location: Stroud
The Stroud valleys of Gloucestershire in glorious Technicolor - and with a Laurie Lee script.
Showtime Showtime
Documentary 1984 23 mins Location: Newark-on-Trent
From shire horses to the Royal Marines, welcome to the annual Newark Show. A serious business for the farming community, with prizes to win and 800 gallons of beer to be drunk.
Springtime in an English Village Springtime in an English Village
Documentary 1944 7 mins Location: Stanion
An extraordinary and unexpected snapshot of rural life in wartime in which a young black girl is crowned Queen of the May.
Good Night Good Night
Advert 1898 1 mins Silent Location: St Pancras
An unusual farewell in this charming early film
Horse-drawn Traffic in Euston Rd Horse-drawn Traffic in Euston Rd
1899 1 mins Silent Location: St Pancras
A close brush with the precursor to the number 73 bus in Victorian London.
28b Camden Street 28b Camden Street
Documentary 1965 28 mins Location: St Pancras
A powerful documentary which sees a community of artists under threat as their London studios face demolition.
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.