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.
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Only this Valley - Dolwyddelan, North Wales August 1972
The Ellises live with the threat of their home and valley - Gwyndy farm in Cwm Penamnen, Dolwyddelan - being flooded for hydro-electricity.
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Overview
The plight of Mr Raymond Ellis, a tenant farmer at Gwyndy, Cwm Penamnen, Dolwyddelan, who faces the prospect of the land being submerged to provide a reservoir for a hydro-electric scheme, is the subject of this student documentary. Facing an uncertain future, Mr and Mrs Ellis continue the unrelenting work in their traditional, gender-based spheres whilst their youngest children appear wonderfully care-free, playing outdoors and assisting with the shearing.
This film, directed by two students from the School of Photography at Manchester Polytechnic, was the British Council's official British entry for the 1974 Melbourne and Chicago international film festivals, gaining a Certificate of Merit at the latter for being “a superior cinematic achievement”. The students lived with the Welsh-speaking Ellis family for a week initially, producing a book of interviews and photographs prior to making the film. Despite Mr Ellis's fears that Gwyndy and Cwm Penamnen would be regarded as suitable for a dam because “here's there's only us and this valley”, they were not, as it turned out, required for any hydro-electric scheme.
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