This film is part of Free
Blinded Soldiers Playing Push Ball
This moving scene of wounded WWI fighters in a London park reminds us of the real costs of combat.
Overview
When cameras were banned from the WWI frontline by the Government, filmgoers sometimes had to make do with wartime reporting which was composed entirely of domestic scenes. Newsreels were on hand to offer light stories that simply implied foreign events. These blinded soldiers have suffered a horrific fate - but when they're seen cheerfully at play, could the war have seemed any further away?
Newsreels like Topical Budget wanted to please big audiences. It was not their usual business to challenge the status quo - so rather than question the conflict of World War I, they simply documented it. Even though the content is relatively plain, there is action and drama underlying this footage - perhaps the soldiers' contest suggests overseas struggles. The sport of pushball may not have stood the test of time, but the charitable work of St Dunstan's has - under the name of Blind Veterans UK.
Related
The Somme The Somme
Drama-documentary 1927 109 mins Silent Location: Hounslow
Dramatic reconstruction of the Somme
Hedd Wyn Hedd Wyn
War 1992 115 mins Location: Trawsfynydd
The stirring story of poet Ellis Evans-Hedd Wyn, the Welsh poet posthumously awarded the Eisteddfod chair at Birkenhead in 1917 after failing to return from 1st World War trenches.
From Trinidad to Serve the Empire From Trinidad to Serve the Empire
Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins Silent Location: London
Colonial recruits from Trinidad meet the Lord Mayor of London during WWI
Anti-German War Cartoons Anti-German War Cartoons
Trick film 1915 5 mins Silent
Follow the lightning-quick hand of the artist behind a series of comic cartoon sketches poking fun at the enemy during WWI.
Nurse and Martyr Nurse and Martyr
Biopic 1915 11 mins Silent
The moving true story of wartime heroine Nurse Edith Cavell, recreated in the aftermath of her execution.
Lt Pimple and the Stolen Submarine Lt Pimple and the Stolen Submarine
Comedy 1914 14 mins Silent Location: Twickenham
The intrepid Lieutenant Pimple thwarts foreign enemies in an action-packed wartime spy spoof.
Joe's Way Joe's Way
Public Information Filler 1975 13 mins Location: Rotherhithe
Road safety film, or warning of the dangers of flared trousers – you decide
A Boy Goes Cycling A Boy Goes Cycling
Amateur film 1963 15 mins Location: Catford
Pedal power saves a dad's day in this colourful cycling safety film set in a sunny 60s South East London.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.