Directing
This lyrical film opens with a quote from Irish mythology where Oisín describes Irish birdsong as ‘the sweetest in the world’ and urges us to ‘Stop and listen!’ What follows is a stunning, non-narrated depiction of Irish birds, animals and landscapes. Oisín was commissioned by the Department of Land of Ireland as a contribution to the European Conservation Year.
A treasure has been hidden at Woburn Abbey at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. When the sale of the present-day estate is threatened three children find this treasure by means of five clues hidden in a deer's antler.
A rare portrait of Northern Ireland in a time of conflict as "a land where the pace of life is more friendly, where everybody cares and nobody minds". Travel from dawn until dusk and delight in the rhythms of nature and traditional crafts. The only hint of dispute is an architectural battle between a classical husband and gothic wife, giving birth to Castle Ward.
Though commissioned by Trinity College Dublin as a fundraiser for the Berkeley Library and with extensive discussion of the history, architecture and collections of the Old Library, this film also provides a rare insight into student life in Dublin in the 1950s – at work and at play – and lauds the arrival of women and students from many lands.
An examination of the relationship between humans and animals, both domestic and wild.
A look at the impact of road traffic on cities and their environments.
Industrial film demonstrating methods of material handling using electrically-driven equipment. Framed in a fictional scenario of businessmen discussing industrial modernisation.
A description of life and training in the Junior Army, which prepares boys for service in the Regular Army. Part of BFI collection "They Stand Ready."
A ski champion uncle tries to kill his nephew in order to gain his inheritance in this British crime mystery short film.
A depiction of life in wartime Britain during the Second World War. Director Humphrey Jennings visits many aspects of civilian life and of the turmoil and privation caused by the war, all without narration.
A BAFTA award nominated documentary following the work of supply ships to North Sea oil rigs. Described by members of the crew, it focusses on the difficulties posed by the unpredictable weather conditions.
A BAFTA award nominated documentary about the importance of paying strict attention to detail by managers, supervisors and staff.
This short, evocative account of the poet's life is set among contemporary scenes of the people of south-west Scotland as they grow from children to manhood. A representative selection of his songs takes on fresh significance when heard against a background of the people and the countryside he knew and loved. The film's score is by Cedric Thorpe Davie, and the songs are sung by the Saltire Singers.
Yeats Country is a lyrical film commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the centenary of the birth of William Butler Yeats. The first Irish film by cinematographer and director Patrick Carey celebrates the landscape of Yeats’ poetry through stunning photography, narrated by Tom St. John Barry. Evocative images of the west of Ireland illustrate the poet’s life including Thoor Ballylee Castle where he lived, Coole Park, home of Lady Gregory where literary figures of the period socialised, Lissadell House, Knocknarea Mountain, the slopes of Ben Bulben, the waterfall at Glencar and finally Yeats’ grave at Drumcliffe. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short in 1966.
