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The films on the following list have been uploaded thanks to individuals and organizations that sponsored their digitization. Choose from Animation, Art, Business/Industry, Drama, Guidance, Ethnographic and Science/Math subjects. Click on any film and you'll be taken to the viewing space for that film. To see the complete collection, go directly to our Academic Film Archive of North America collection page at the Internet Archive. And please join us by sponsoring a film yourself. Animation ‘Hangman’ (1964) 12m, dir. Paul Julian. A cynical look at how humankind loves to feed others into the death machine, from a disturbing poem by Maurice Ogden, read by Herschel Bernardi. Shadows and shifting geometric planes lend a Chirico-like quality to Julian’s animation. Sponsored by Martin J. Brown. Homage à François Couperin (Butterflies) (1978) 2m, dir. Philip Stapp. Also known as "Butterflies". A three-minute fantasy of butterflies and dragonflies cavorting amongst the pussywillows, Japanese-inspired animation accompanied by two variations on keyboard works by the Baroque composer. Sponsored by Scott Edmonson 'Inside Magoo' (1960) 15, prod. Steve Bosustow. The nearsighted Mr. Magoo here experiences the seven danger signals of cancer and sees his doctor, even though as a Sagittarius, he feels he is not susceptible (Cancer, get it?). Notable for acted sequences with Jim Backus, producer Stephen Bosustow, and Scopitone star Joi Lansing as the nurse. Magoo goes to gets his colon scoped! Sponsored by Robert Emmett McGlynn ‘Picture in Your Mind’ (1948) 20m, dir. Philip Stapp. Sent by the U.S. government as a participant in the Marshall Plan with a specific mission to assist the French in re-gearing their animation studios, Stapp discovered a Europe much-decimated by war, but in further danger of annihilation by nuclear weapons. Returning to the U.S., he produced this alarming-yet-hopeful film, replete with its lonely, Tanguy-inspired landscapes peopled with static figures casting long shadows across charcoal-colored plains. While taking the risk of leaning a bit toward didacticism, Stapp managed to urgently convey the thought that world destruction was not necessarily inevitable, provided that people embrace, rather than reject their cultural and racial differences. ‘Picture’ is a unique document resulting from the sometimes dreamy, sometimes nightmarish vision of the artist in a war-torn land, with the spectre of death hovering ever-so-slightly ahead. Sponsored by New York University ‘Rhinoceros’ (1965) 11m, dir. Jan Lenica. A animated version of Ionesco’s tale, a play on the theme of conformity. Sponsored by Lee Creighton ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ (1962) 15m, dir. Edward English. Lisl Weil, a dancer who often performed in New York with friend Tommy Scherman and his Little Orchestra Society, was also a splendid charcoal artist. Here, accompanied by Sherman’s musical interpretation of the Paul Dukas classic, she soars across the screen, drawing abstract characters on a massive blank board in a timeless, fun film that juxtaposes wonderfully with the better-known Disney treatment in 'Fantasia.' Sponsored by Morton Schindel and Linda Lee at the Weston Woods Institute ‘Stonecutter’ (1960) 6m, dir. Gerald McDermott. McDermott made this, his first commercial film at the age of 19, an extremely complex animation short featuring approximately 2000 animation cels presented in six minutes. Influenced by Klee and Matisse, McDermott used silk-screen as well as traditional painting techniques in crafting ethnographic folk tale animation shorts. With films that are startling in intensity, and majestic in execution, McDermott is clearly one of the outstanding animators of his generation, despite having an output consisting solely of only five films, all of which are under 12 minutes in length. After retiring from film animation at the age of 32, McDermott began producing animated children’s books, eventually becoming one of the world’s best-known authors of books for young readers, winning numerous awards in the process. Sponsored by Jordy Whitmer 'Sun Flight'
(1965) 4m, dir. Gerald McDermott. The Icarus tale, and Zellerbach Award
winner for Film as Art, at the San Francisco Film Festival.
'At your Fingertips: Boxes' (1970) 10m, dir. Peter Erik & Mary Anna Winkler. Reveals the supermarket as a source for every imaginable box, carton and container. Explains that these same receptacles, once they find their way to the home, provide a group of children with material for construction of art objects, playthings, houses and tunnels. A clever, beautiful film, showing children building everything from trains to colored houses, under the direction of Ernest Ziegfield, Ed. D. Sponsored by Scott Edmonson. 'Creative Journey: Arnold Blanch' (1969) 26m, dir. Clifford B. West. Here, West surveys the life and work of Arnold Blanch, showing him as a teacher and painter in Woodstock, New Jersey. Sponsored by Linda Ronich. 'Doña Rosa: Potter of Coyotepec' (1959) 10m, prod. Orville Goldner. Beautiful color film on Doña Rosa de Nieto, from San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, showing her making an olla, and firing her creations in an underground kiln. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation. ‘Dong Kingman’ (1954) 20m, dir. James Wong Howe. This exceptional film shows Kingman at work in New York’s Chinatown. Sponsored by New York University ‘Hands of María’ (1968) 15m, dir. J. Donald McIntyre María Martinez was a well-known and historically significant Jemez potter from San Ildefonso, New Mexico, whose work is in most major southwestern museum pottery collections. Here, she is seen building large pieces by building coiling ropes of clay. An unusually large percentage of lost films are based on southwestern or American Indian themes, perhaps reflecting the fact that, from a school curriculum perspective, they are no longer the ethnicity du jour... Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation ‘Jose Iturbi: Part I’ (1941) 10m, dir. Reginald LeBorg. Iturbi here performs dazzling interpretations of 'Sevilla' by Albeniz and 'Fantasie - Impromptu' by Chopin. Sponsored by Fred Sanchez/Realty Brokers ‘Kienholz on Exhibit’ (1969) 21m, dir. June Steel. Born in 1927 in the border area between Washington and Idaho, Kienholz moved to Los Angeles in 1953, where he began making a series of bas-reliefs with found material. Prior to his death in 1994, he was primarily known for his "Assembly Art" sculptures, consisting of mannequins, stuffed animals, and pieces of clothing, focusing on subjects such as controversial as bordellos, back seat sex, and abortion. Steel’s extremely entertaining film consists of audience reactions to a Kienholz exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art, which includes his well-known pieces ‘"The Birthday’, ‘Back Seat Dodge’, and ‘Roxy's’. Sponsored by Scott Edmonson. 'Les Derniers Canuts' (1965?) 10m, dir. Jean Mailland. A fine documentary of silk weaving in Lyons, France. Sponsored by Lee Creighton 'Posada' (1964) 14m, dir. José Pavón. José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was an important Mexican satirist, known for his engravings and broadsides, pillorying the excesses of the regime of Porfirio Díaz. His graphical invention, the Calavera de la Catrina, has become iconic in Mexico, portrayed in print and sculpture. This film provides a history of the artist and his times. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation. ‘Visite à Picasso’ (1950) 20m, dir. Paul Haesaerts A poetic treatment which includes the artist painting on glass while facing the camera, shot at Picasso's home in Vallauris, accompanied by some fairly moody organ music in this very dark, but captivating film. The artist here takes on the character of an eminence-grise, an alchemist engulfed in the "sol y sombra" of his laboratory-studio, filmed in gorgeous black and white. Sponsored by THE PROCESS of Santa Fe 'Woodblock Printer' (1968) 16m, dir. Carson Davidson. Follow the step - by - step execution of a woodblock print by artist Lowell Naeve from initial sketch to completed edition. Emphasizes the unique qualities of the medium for creative expression. Sponsored by Diane & Willliam Ginsberg
'Big Chief 34 Drilling Rig' (1955?) 20m, uncredited director. Shows the assembly on dry land of components that will make up Big Chief Drilling Company's Rig 34. After assembly, it's all tugged on two barges 60 miles into the Gulf of Mexico, where it's completely assembled at sea. Sponsored by the Chieftain Royalty Company. 'Brake Free' (1970) 6m, dir. Carson Davidson. The third in a series of films that Kit Davidson made on railways (the others are 'Third Avenue El' and 'Railway with a heart of Gold'), this film is staged on the Mount Washington (NH) cog railway. Sponsored by David Richards 'Cliché Family in Televisionland' (1965?) 10m, prod. MPO Productions. This outrageous parody of the prototype 'commercial' family was apparently made as an in-house joke by one of the largest producers of television commercials. Their clients would have never seen this gem, which parodies products as well as the people that buy them. Sponsored by Rob McGlynn ‘Facts About Projection’ (1950) 10m, dir. Robert Edmonds. An old-timey set-up & projection techniques film, set in a school classroom. This film teaches the young projectionist how to put on a good show, and not trip over the cord while doing so. Sponsored by Rob McGlynn 'Granite' (1980) 10m, dir. Carson Davidson. Here, a 25 ton block of granite being burned, drilled, and blasted from the heart of a Vermont mountain, focusihttp://www.archive.org/details/modern_business_machines_for_writingng on the machinery used. Filmed at the Rock of Ages Quarry in Barre, VT. Sponsored by David Richards 'Modern Business Machines for Writing, Duplicating, and Recording' (1947) 20m, uncredited director. An intriguing historical film, demonstrating many expensive business machines found in modern offices of the era, including electromatic and Chinese typewriters and machines for filming, stenciling, folding and lithographing. Among the machines shown are Diebold's Flofilm microfiche recorder, the Fileomatic Desk, the Pierce Electronic Wire Recorder, the Soundscriber with plastic disk, the Elliott Stencil Machine with Graphotype machine, the Davidson Duplicator for litho printing, the Davidson Folder for letters, the Varityper, the Autotypist Perforator, the IBM Chinese character typewriter, and speed typist Stella Pajunas, using an IBM Model A Electric Typewriter, who set a one-hour typing speed record in 1946 of 140 net five-stroke words per minute. More on Pajunas at www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/modelb/modelb_4509PH04.html Sponsored by Thomas S. Mullaney ‘One Hundred Watts 120 Volts’ (1977) 10m, dir. Carson Davidson. The mechanized production of Duro-Test light bulbs is filmed as a dance to the tune of the Brandenburg, as choreographed filaments, glass, and metal combine in a dynamic finale. Sponsored by Scott Edmonson ‘Project Discovery: a Demonstration in Education’ (1965) 30m, Irving Rusinow. This important film focuses on the experimental project most responsible for taking millions of public dollars away from textbook producers, and delivering it into the hands of educational film companies. The result? The blossoming of the academic film movement in the U.S., a filmmaking renaissance that changed the way curriculum was discussed and taught in North America. Here we visit the classroom that toppled the textbook companies, at Mercer Elementary School in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Our host is Principal Alice Van Deusen, joined by teacher Mimi Weber. Weber illustrates the process of starting and stopping the projector during lessons, and instructs her students on the use of film and film strip projectors. Sponsored by Charles Benton 'Railway with a Heart of Gold' (1965) 15m, dir. Carson Davidson. This film is an account of the Talyllyn Railway, a historic narrow-gauge slate carrier in Tywyn, Wales, and its operation by a preservation society who saved it from being sold for scrap. Although the release date is 1965, it was actually filmed in the early 1950s. Opened in 1865, the Talyllyn railway was the first narrow-gauge steam railway opened specifically for industrial hauling by steam. Since saving the railway in the late 1940's, hundreds of individuals have been involved in keeping it running, and visitors are welcome to ride. The passion for the railway on the part of the Society is extraordinary. Volunteers are classed in three groups: adults, adolescents, and children, and a significant number of marriages and children have happened as a result of the social interaction among society members. I found the Talyllyn experience to be a culture with a passion for preservation. Filmmaker Kit Davidson gave the Society the right to use this film to raise funds, and they sell the DVD in their shop. When I (AFA director Geoff Alexander) arrived, the four people cleaning the locomotive spontaneously started whistling the theme to this film, written by Judd Woldin. The railway is easily visited by rail from virtually any point in the UK, as connections can be made to the town of Tywyn, in Wales, where the Talyllyn Railway is located. Sponsored by David Richards 'Stalking the Wild Cranberry: the Making of a TV Commercial' 1972, 15m, dir. Gordon Webber. This wonderful film traces the steps taken in creating and shooting a television commercial for Post Grape Nuts. This film was produced by George Gage Productions, which filmed the commercial, starring the legendary Euell Gibbons, for the Benton & Bowles advertising agency, with lots of discussions & outtakes. The funky "Cranberry Rag" played by pianist Paul McDonough is a hoot. Sponsored by the American Association of Advertising Agencies 'Unique Contribution' (1959) 30m, with Maurice Mitchell. Here, the legendary president of EB Films discusses the 'unique contribution' of educational film to curriculum and learning. The film is geared toward instructors, and provides examples of mediated instructional techniques from filmmakers such as Roman Vishniac and John Barnes. Sponsored by Charles Benton 'Valley of Heart's Delight' (1948) 18m, unknown director. No no, this is not the pristine, black and white film from 1925 showing in the display at History San Jose, but a spanking 'new' version, touting Santa Clara Valley's Clapp's Baby Food factory, the American Can Company plant, FMC, San Jose Steel, and Moffett Field, all accessible via the old Monterey Highway, or after arrival on the Coast Daylight steam locomotive-driven train. Sponsored by Rob McGlynn 'Wildcat' (1959) 30, dir. Dick McCutcheon. Follows two Oklahoma wildcatters as they prepare to sink a well. Shows their drilling operations for the Big Chief Drilling Company in Garfield County, OK; Only 1 out of 9 wells are wet, and it takes them 22 days and 6,750 feet to figure it out. Sponsored by Rob Abernathy
'Atlantic Crossing: Life on an Ocean Liner' (1967), 25m, dir. Bill Deneen. In this film, Deneen starred his wife and three sons (all uncredited), after he’d arranged a trade with Italian Lines for free passage for his family in return for a film about the liner S.S. Leonardo Da Vinci. The film is a remarkable children’s film as well as serving as an important document of one of the most advanced ocean liners of its day, now scrapped. More on this remarkable ocean liner at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Leonardo_da_Vinci Sponsored by Matt Heftler. ‘Crisis in Levittown’ (1957) 25m. dir. Lee Bobker/Lester Becker. The Black upper middle-class Myers family moves into all-white Levittown, PA in August, 1957, and are snubbed and mistreated, in this powerful landmark documentary showcasing racism in the United States. Sponsored by Katy Brocksmith 'Celebrating the Life of Milan Herzog' (2010), 21m, prod. Shanta Herzog, Eric Acevedo. Milan Herzog produced, both as a line producer as well as an executive producer, an estimated 400 titles, probably more academic films than anyone in history. He passed away in April, 2010, at the age of 101. This film was made for the people attending a celebration of his life held on June 19, 2010 in Los Angeles. Of particular interest is Milan’s own recounting of his life, taped on his 90th birthday, which occupies much of the soundtrack of this film.
'Clown' (1969) 15m, dir. Richard Balducci. Along with Larry Yust's 'Lottery', 'Clown' was probably the two best selling ed films ever made. On the surface, it's a cute kid & dog story. Underlying is a possible subtext that fascinates us every time we view the film, and makes for a satisfying, yet ultimately ambiguous ending. Gilou Pelletier is outstanding as the small boy, and the camera work by Guy Suzuki takes wonderful advantage of the terraces of Montmartre. Sponsored by Scott Hammond 'Encore un Hiver' (1979) 15m, dir. Françoise Sagan. This wonderful film focuses on an older woman waiting on a park bench on a cold winter day for a lover who returns every year. Sponsored by Lee Creighton Films by Bert Salzman: Angel & Big Joe, Felipa: North of the Border, Geronimo Jones, Joshua: Black Boy of Harlem, Lee Suzuki: Home in Hawaii, Matthew Aliuk: Eskimo in Two Worlds, Me and You: Kangaroo, Miguel: Up from Puerto Rico, Shopping Bag Lady 'Help! My Snowman's Burning Down' (1964) 10m, dir. Carson Davidson. Oscar-nominated short, 1964; Shows a man sitting in a bathtub on a pier at the Hudson River with a background of the New York skyline. He is typing underwater with the words literally going down the drain. Opens the door, and a stripper wrapped in toilet paper appears, and attempts to seduce him. Neat jazz score by Cool Jazzmen Gerry Mulligan & Bob Brookmeyer. Sponsored by Diane & Willliam Ginsberg 'People Along the Mississippi' (1952) 20m, dir. Gordon Weisenborn, prod. John Barnes & Gordon Weisenborn. As far as we have been able to determine, this film is the first nationally distributed educational film to embrace the interaction of races and cultures in the United States. Ostensibly a child's film, it's the story of a boy in Minnesota who builds a toy boat and sends it on a journey southward along the Mississippi River. Meandering through scenery beautifully photographed by Barnes, the boat serves as a metaphor for the integration of the American cultures; the boat is found by a Chippewa boy who sends it along its way now accompanied by a small totem pole, it sails along farmlands settled by Swedes, and in the most poignant moment of the film, falls into the hands of a young African-American boy in the deep south. He shows it to his white erstwhile playmate, who has grown to the stage of avoiding playing with blacks. They are brought together again through this new mutual interest, an event which, one imagines, must have prompted thousands of classroom discussions about the nature of race relations. The strengths of the film are in the mythic story line, the photography, and the inherent historical interest of a film which was the first to have made a statement which even now is powerful and important. Sponsored by Judith Barnes 'Poppycock' (1966) 16m, dir. Carson Davidson. Kit Davidson here presents a satire in which the hero overcomes all obstacles against his rival to win a girl and ends in glorious victory. Sponsored by Dave Richards ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’ (1966) 15m, dir. Gene Kearney. Alienation, angst, and schizophrenia are the themes addressed subtly and powerfully by Kearney in this adaptation of a story by Conrad Aiken. Sponsored by Rob McGlynn 'Shaw vs. Shakespeare' series EB (1970) 90m, dir. John Barnes. After reading the complete works of George Bernard Shaw, Barnes wrote, directed, and produced a series of three films narrated by Shaw (the excoriating Shaw portrayed brilliantly by Donald Moffat), describing how parallel characters (e.g. Julius Caesar, played by Richard Kiley) are treated differently by the two playwrights. We feel this series is one of the highlights of educational cinema: engaging, thoughtful, and intellectually stimulating., a masterpiece of the genre. The series consists of three 1/2 hour films: 'The Character of Caesar,' 'The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,' and 'Caesar and Cleopatra.' For the remarkable story of the creation of these films, visit www.afana.org/99chrono.htm and scroll down to the date of Thursday, 15 April 1999. Sponsored by Jeanne Barnes. ‘Why Don't You Dance?’ (1990) 13m, dir. Steven Condiotti. From a story by Raymond Carver, filmed in El Cerrito. Here, a sad man puts his possessions on in his front yard to sell, and two strangers arrive as buyers. They remain, to become part of the tableau. They remain, to become part of the tableau. Two sets of relationships here are in a state of transition, in a beautiful, touching film that offers no concrete answers. Sponsored by Steven Condiotti
Ethnographic/Geography (see 'Arts' above for ethnographic arts & crafts) ‘African Pygmy Thrills’ (1930?) 10m, prod. Eugene W. Castle. Castle Films, whose series ‘The Adventure Parade’ resulted in a number of commercially exotic films on ethnic traditions and cultures, actually utilized authentic music in this film, instead of the boring orchestral scores that were more typical of the era. Although the continued use of the term "these little men", and the embarrassing attempt to comically portray an older member of the group as a cynic seems condescending to present-day sensibilities, the faithful recording of the building of a vine bridge 50 feet above the water is remarkable. Climbing 150 feet to the top of a riverside tree, a vine is fixed to an ingenious boatswain’s chair, and a member of the group is swung to a similar tree on the opposite side of the river. Over the next eight days, a complete bridge of several tons is built of vines, the crossing initiated by climbing either tree to the height of fifty feet. While such films represent proof that even sensationalist films of the era contained often superb ethnographic content, it also illustrates the frustration many of these cinematographers may have experienced in seeing their work dumbed-down for theatrical showing. Nevertheless, the documentary aspect of the footage is important, and represents an authentic, if somewhat clumsy attempt to portray significant elements of faraway cultures. ‘African Pygmy Thrills’ is historically significant for one other reason: feature filmmaker Werner Herzog has cited his viewing of this film, as a child, as the impetus for embarking on a career in film. Sponsored by Rob McGlynn ‘Baja California: the Pacific Coast of Mexico’ (1949) 12m, prod. Silas Johnson. Johnson is another "lost filmmaker, who worked out of Coronado, California. This film boasts beautiful color footage of old Baja, before Pemex stations lined the Cuota and Libre. Hunt travels from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, enchantingly stopping at the waterless village of Magdalena Bay, Tortuga Bay, and the vineyards at Santo Tomás. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation. 'Centinelas del Silencio' (1971) 18 m, dir. Robert Amran. The real star here is the late aerial photographer James Freeman, whose breathtaking helicopter shots of Mayan and Aztec ruins at sunrise and sunset won an Academy Award for this film in 1971. Although the English version was narrated by Orson Welles, the Spanish version we'll show tonight features narration by Ricardo Montalban, is in better keeping with the ethnic aspect of the film, and no knowledge of Spanish is needed to appreciate his dramatic impact. Don't be put off by the heroic musical score: this film is memorable, the last word on spectacular ruin cinematography. ‘Centinelas’ remains available on VHS only in México, while Amran has, according to at least one report, vanished south of the border. Freeman was killed while scouting a location for a commercial sponsored by Eastman Kodak. Sponsored by Rob McGlynn ‘Dances of the Kwakiutl’ (1951) 10m, dir. William Heick. A magnificent film featuring Pacific Northwest Indian dances of the ancient winter ceremonial handed down among the Kwakiutl families as their way of keeping history. Beautiful costumes and masks are worn by the dancers in the black and white film. Sponsored by Gregory Walker 'Death Valley' (1950) 10m, prod. Paul Hoefler. A beautifully shot trip through the Death Valley of the late 1940s, including visits to the ghost town of Ryan, Zabriskie Point, the Harmony Borax Works, and Scotty's Castle. Sponsored by David Peters 'El Cumpleaños de Pepita' (1957) 14m, unknown director. Meant to be shown to students learning Spanish, this film transcends the didactic, and provides a glimpse into the Mexico that has, in many places, all too quickly disappeared. Pepita and her uncle travel to Lake Pátzcuaro, get their pictures taken by an itinerant photographer, see wonderful dancers, and attend a birthday party. A sweet, wonderful film. (In Spanish) Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation 'Eskimo Family' (1959) 16m, prod. Bill Deneen. Old ways are juxtaposed with the influence of modern housing, food, and clothing, filmed on Baffin Island. Sponsored by Bill Deneen
‘Fabricantes Mexicanas de Ollas' (1962) 9m, prod. Stuart Roe. A wonderful film,
depicting the making of ollas, large earthen jars, featuring Carmen Portillo of
the Mayan village of Ubalama, firing clay above ground, utilizing branches and
old boards for fuel. Sponsored by the Castellano
Family Foundation 'Gentle Winds of Change: Uganda' (1961) 33m, dir. Marshall Segall. Segall, a professor of Psychology at Columbia, here investigates the impact of Western Civilization on Uganda, in the area of Mbarara, Ankole region (Ba-nyankole people). Scenes include a traditional wedding and the making of plantain beer. Segall originally traveled to Uganda for the purpose of making a sociological study, but decided to craft his footage into a film upon returning to the U.S. This remarkable work is the only film Segall ever made. Sponsored by Marshall Segall. ‘Guadalajara Family’ (1958) 13m, photographed by Willard C. Hahn. Another Paul Hoefler production, focusing on an upper-class family, military school, garden parties, etc. They enjoy themselves and the rustic beauty at a pristine lake nearby, where father intends to build a development. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation 'Happy City' (1959) and 'Touch of his Hand' (1956) (each 35m), dir. Bill Deneen. Sponsored by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, filmmaker Bill Deneen traveled three days by bullock cart to the remote leper colony run by Father Cesare Columbo in Kengtung (Kyiang Tong), Burma, to make these films. Intended to be films to be used for fundraising, they are fascinating documentaries about a humanitarian effort that would soon be terminated by the Burmese government. Sponsored by Bill Deneen 'Indonesia: New Nation of Asia' (1959) 20m, dir. Bill Deneen. Hosted by Ubud's political leader Agang Djakorta Sulawesi Mas, Deneen here visits important sites and describes the political, religious, and economic situation in the Indonesia of 1959. Sponsored by Matt Heftler. ‘Iran’ (1971) 18m, dir. Claude Lelouch Far more than a travelogue with pretty pictures, this little-known film won six international awards shortly after its release. 'Iran' consists of spectacular geographical and archaeological footage interspersed with "slice of life"' shots, with the best juxtapositional editing we've ever seen. This is a buried masterpiece from the director of A Man and a Woman, Happy New Year, and And Now My Love. Lelouch reportedly shot six miles of footage to make this film, which apparently was sponsored by a multinational petroleum pipeline construction firm, as a gift to the Shah’s wife. One guesses that international dissatisfaction with the excesses of the Pahlevi regime negatively affected the distribution of the film, a shame, because few films treating similar themes are its equal. The musical score by Francis Lai is a priceless timepiece, resplendent with heavy early-70s euro-pop wah-wah guitar. An intriguing, beautifully crafted, and dynamic film, this visual poem transcends the didactic. Sponsored by Jeff Ubois 'Japan: Mircle in Asia' (1963) 30m, prod. Bill Deneen. Explains how Japan's rapid industrial growth has influenced the way of life in the country and has affected the international political and economic position of the country. Suggests that Japan turned to industrialization to support a rapidly growing population on a small and relatively poor land area. Deneen shot the aerial shots himself from a single-seat aircfraft, toggling the joystick while he pointed the camera out the window on sharply-banked turns. As an extra, Deneen appears on-camera in a 3:53 non-distributed film, describing the significance of his three-part series on Japan, of which this film is one. Sponsored by Bill Deneen 'Latitude Zero' (1961?), 20m, dir. Bill Deneen. Here's Deneen accompanies a priest through the backwaters of the Amazon River. There are many ethnographic elements to the film, one of the most notable of which is a ceremony in which a man stands in the sun, his hand being eaten by soldier ants, in a village ritual. Deneen was attacked by piranhas and bitten during the filming. Sponsored by Matt Heftler. ‘L'entente Cordiale’ (1951) 11m, unknown director). This film, in the ‘Beginning French Conversation’ series, portrays a slice of life that is rapidly disappearing in many French villages, in this case, the traditional French corner market, with its harried proprietor. Sponsored by Lee Creighton ‘Maguey: Plant of a Thousand Uses’ (1952) 14m, dir. Ralph Adams. Adams is a filmmaker whose life and work appear to be completely unknown today, as we have conducted a fruitless search to obtain biographical and filmographic information. He covered a breadth of territory, and we suspect that he might have made dozens of films on Mexican themes. His narration is not the most compelling, but he was a very good cinematographer, and apparently insisted upon superior print materials, as his color is exceptional for the era. Here, he describes the myriad uses of this interesting plant, including fences, paper, tequila, pulque, needle and thread and rope. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation ‘Maya Are People’ (1951) 22m. dir. Les Mitchel. Many explorer-adventurer hosts of historical/cultural films viewed their subjects as "objects" (e.g. C. Ernest Cadle and Carveth Wells), their colonialist attitudes seeping precariously through the safety-film. Not so the wonderful and forgotten Les Mitchel, who arrives in the Lacandon area of the Yucatan, shows the chief Obregon K’in (of Agua Azul village, Palenque) how to fire a pistol, takes him on a plane-ride to view his ancestral ruins at Palenque. Much of this magnificent film was shot at Lacanha Chan Sayab. Viewers can find much to like about this filmmaker-adventurer, lost to history. Overly-sensitive individuals will be put-off, no doubt at Mitchel’s politically-incorrect use of cigarette-as-tool, burning the leave of a jungle plant to show its reflex to heat. At the end of the film, Mitchel delivers a heartfelt plea to save the culture from encroachment. All our attempts at finding any information on the filmmaker have failed. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation ‘Mexican Ceramics’ (1966) 18m, prod. Reino Randall and Richard Townsend. This highly informative, well-made film focused on four geograophical areas: 1) Coyotepec, 2) Metepec (the art of Timotéo), 3) Tonalá (the work of Señores Palacios and Galván), 4) Puebla. Here we see low-fire pottery making as it was done by primitive methods before the potter's wheel, and the manufacture of the beautiful blue and white and polychrome high-fire pottery of Puebla. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation ‘Mexican Village Life’ (1958) 15m, photographed by Willard C. Hahn, prod. Paul Hoefler. We profiled the life of the peripatetic Hoefler on our show of November 5, 1998 (visit http://www.afana.org/98chrono.htm , then search for the date). Here, director Willard Hahn travels to the village of San Diego de Tecoltepec, 6 miles from Toluca. He focuses on the harvesting of maguey juice, the washing of clothes in-stream, and the town’s water cistern, as the village has no running water. The villagers board a beautiful old bus to take their goods to the nearby market in Toluca, and walk home to avoid paying the fare of several centavos. Paul Hoefler’s films are completely lost, as apparently there are no familial descendants. We were able to obtain the last vestiges of his own collection on a pallet of material from Hoefler’s estate that was sold to a gun collector as part of what was, presumably, a collection of arms and materiel. Sponsored by Carol Hahn Horton ‘Quelle Chance’ (1953, 10m, unknown director). In the charming village of Vaires-sûr-Marnes, an accident occurs, and everyone leaves the restaurant to watch the aftermath. In their absence, a wandering accordionist and two children polish off the food and drink from everyone's table. The French sense of justice is secured, and the children are led away, holding their bellies. From the Modern Language Association. Sponsored by Lee Creighton 'Paraguay: a New Frontier' (1958) 14m, dir. Willard Hahn. Hahn films the Chaco region of Paraguay, exploring the ranch of American Bob Eaton, featuring Ligua Indian vaqueros. Also shown is a hand-cranked radio "bringing civilization to the wild Chaco." Also featuring the Mennonite settlement of Filadelfia, old streetcar in Asunción. Sponsored by Carol Hahn Horton. ‘Pottery Workers of Oaxaca’ (1952) 14m, dir. Ralph Adams. Adams features the legendary Zapotec potter Doña Rosa Real de Nieto, and her traditional technique of below-ground firing. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation 'Rough Road to Panama' (1947) 37m. prod. Sullivan C. Richardson. The Sullivan C. Richardson Pan American Highway Expedition, 1940-1941. The first of a two-part series describing the first successful attempt to drive an automobile from the United States to the tip of South America the companion is was "Rugged Road to Cape Horn." Here, Richardson and two companions (one of whom is Arnold Whitaker) explore the route that would eventually become the Pan American Highway. In many cases their Plymouth sedan is towed by men and burros through difficult terrain. On the way, they visit Mexico City and meet President Miguel Alemán, , Monte Albán, Like Atitlán, Guatemala, hat weaving in El Salvador. Sponsored by the Castellano Family Foundation 'Spanish Children' (1964) 11m, dir. Bill Deneen. Here we witness the activities of a boy and his sister during harvest time in a mountain village of Alora, 40km north of Málaga, in Spain, showing their life at home, at school, in the village plaza and in the orchards and fields. This whitewashed village with steep cobblestone streets was formerly home to Cervantes, and reputedly the birthplace of the Malagueñas style of flamenco music. The film depicts a life that may no longer exist in southern Spain, and ends with a performance of a lively young flamenco dancer. Sponsored by Matt Heftler. 'Wild Men of the Kalahari' (1930) 30m, prod. C. Ernest Cadle. In one of the earliest "talking pictures" shot in western Africa, expedition leader and lecturer Dr. C. Ernest Cadle of the Cameron-Cadle expedition describes the Kung Bushmen as "among the most treacherous creatures on earth". He then "baited them as we would an animal" to gather them for camera shots, and noted their eating habits ("he doesn't chew, but simply swallows like a dog"). Sponsored by Marti Kilby
'Mike Makes his Mark' (1955) 28m, dir. Irving Rusinow. Mike hated the
new school. He challenged it by slashing an ugly mark on its front. Then he
found that the mark would stay on the wall and on his conscience until he
removed it by his own decision. Sponsored by Jeff
Rusinow Science/Math 'Congruent Triangles' (1976) 10m, dir. Bruce & Katharine Cornwell. Bruce and Katharine Cornwell are primarily known for a series of remarkable animated films on the subject of geometry. Created on the Tektronics 4051 Graphics Terminal, they are brilliant short films, tracing Klee-like geometric shapes to intriguing music, including the memorable 'Bach meets Third Steam Jazz' musical score in ‘Congruent Triangles.’ In this melding of art and science, the Cornwells create a quasi-hypnotic take on a mathematical construct. Sponsored by Karl W. Reinsch ‘Frames of Reference’ (1960) 26m, dir. Richard Leacock. This PSSC film utilizes a fascinating set consisting of a rotating table and furniture occupying surprisingly unpredictable spots within the viewing area. The fine cinematography by Abraham Morochnik, and funny narration by University of Toronto professors Donald Ivey and Patterson Hume is a wonderful example of the fun a creative team of filmmakers can have with a subject that other, less imaginative types might find pedestrian. Sponsored by Eric Prestamon 'Imaging the Hidden World: the Light Microscope' (1984) 20m, dir. Bruce Russell. To say Russell makes films on biology is sort of like saying Rodin threw some clay on a table and a few minutes later came up with a figure representative of a human. 'Light Microscope' starts out didactically (Russell was a former K-12 biology teacher) in instructing the student on proper microscope technique, then goes off into the hyperspace of lighting techniques, using light and colored filters, that make otherwise difficult-to-see phenomena visible. This film, frankly, borders on psychedelia, and shows the technology Russell himself uses to make his visually arresting films. Sponsored by Bruce Wakayama 'Journey to the Center of a Triangle' (1976) 8m, dir. Bruce & Katharine Cornwell. Another fabulous film by the Cornwells, created on the Tektronics 4051 Graphics Terminal. Sponsored by Karl W. Reinsch ‘Magnet Laboratory' (1960) 21m, dir. Richard Leacock. In the hands of another director, the inner-workings of a magnet laboratory could have caused a whole classroom to fall asleep of boredom. No so when Leacock was hired to produce this twenty-minute version of lab mayhem. Try this: six researchers in a lab at MIT in the late 1950's show-off the power of electro-magnets, and in the process, accidentally set an experiment on fire. Or this: half way through the film the phone rings off screen, and host Francis Bitter says "tell 'em I'll call 'em back later" while he's looking at the camera, discussing bus bars. Leacock’s fleshed out all the personalities here, from "Beans" Bardo, who cranks up the generator to nearly explosive proportions, to the mysterious Mr. Lin, who barely peeks over his shoulder at us, seemingly in mockery, disdain, or curiosity. Bitter is an important historical figure, whose degaussing techniques spared many an allied vessel from destruction by magnetic underwater mines during WWII. The generator shown was from Pittsbugh's street car system, relocated to MIT for use in Bitter's lab. This film is from the landmark Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) series of films. Sponsored by David Peters 'Solar System' (1977) 20m, dir. Tom Smith. Tom Smith headed up the Special Effects team at Industrial Light & Magic, where he created all the goodies for the 'Star Wars' films. This is his academic film masterwork, which took over a year to create, over 13 weeks to film, and utilized "traveling mattes," with as many as five separate films running in the background, showcasing wonderful models and graphics. Sponsored by Tom Smith 'Transuranium Elements' (1962) 23m, dir. J. Arthur Campbell/Hal Geer, prod. David W. Ridgway. This classic film is hosted by Glenn Seaborg, Nobel Prize winner and discoverer of Plutonium. Here, he features three principal chemists in the discovery and identification of the transuranium elements, Burris Cunningham, Stanley Thompson and Albert Ghiorso. The film reviews methods and techniques for discovery and identification of transuranium elements. Sponsored by Pauline Derbyshire.
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