Land of Promise [DVD]

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LAND OF PROMISE The British Documentary Movement 1930-1950 Featuring 40 films over four DVDs, this extensive collection is a major retrospective of the British documentary film movement during its period of greatest influence. These films many of which are made available here for the first time since their original release capture the spirit and strength, concerns and resolve of Britain and its people before, during and after the Second World War. Bearing witness to the social and industrial transformations of a rapidly changing world, these fascinating historical documents are all striking for their different approaches to the form. Using poetry, dramatic reconstruction, modernist techniques and explicit propaganda, the filmmakers found fresh, new ways to get their message across. Bringing together celebrated and lesser-known works from such luminaries as Paul Rocha, Humphrey Jennings, Ruby Grierson, Basil Wright and Paul Dickson, this landmark release is accompanied by a 64-page book of essays by leading film historians and experts. A companion collection, Shadows of Progress: Documentary film in post-war Britain 1951-1977, is also available on BFI DVD. Special features * John Grierson at the NFT (1959, 13 mins): the 'her' of documentary addressing a packed audience at the National Film Theatre * Close Up: Recollections of British documentary (2007, 40 mins): featuring interviews with some of the key figures from the British documentary movement * 64-page book with essays and notes by leading researchers and scholars in the field of documentary film * Dolby Digital mono audio (320 kbps) UK | 1931 -1950 | black & white, and colour | English, optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | 720 minutes | 4 x DVD9 | Original aspect ratio 1.33:1