2006 Archive

British Movietonews

Nava Mizrahi for Israel and the Arabs, Elusive Peace

Director:

Dan Edge

Producer(s):

Norma Percy

Footage Archive Researcher:

Declan Smith, Nava Mizrahi

Archival Sources:

APTN Library, Israeli Government Press Office, BBC Motion Gallery, ITN Archive, Israeli Broadcasting Authority

Production Company:

Brook Lapping

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

Sharon (2003-2005) President Bush was determined to stay out of Middle East peace-making. But his war in Iraq forced him to court Arab allies. He needed to push Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon back toward peace - but then Sharon moved the goal posts. The final programme in a major three-part documentary series, Israel and the Arabs: Elusive Peace, in which Presidents and Prime Ministers, their generals and ministers - and those behind the suicide bombs and assassinations - tell what happened behind closed doors as they try to get the peace process up and running after two years of intifada. Reasons for Submission: Local Israeli researcher was Nava Mizrahi, whose persistence and knowledge of the Israeli archives was unique. Nava's masterpiece is in episode 3. She made so many demands the government archive finally left her to copy things herself. She discovered film from the Aqaba summit of the top Israeli and Palestinian security ministers discussing together how to deal with Hamas. They had no idea they were being filmed. It was the biggest scoop in the series. Nava spent weeks persuading the government press office to release film of Prime Minister Barak playing the piano. The director was scornful and 'we'll never use that' then we interviewed Barak, and he talked about how he played Chopin while waiting for his first meeting with Yasser Arafat. We built the whole opening sequence around it and used piano playing as the link between sections. Two days before the online, we heard that Barak needed to approve the use and and he denied it. The archive said Barak hated to be filmed playing, and no other shots existed. We rang Nava in panic. She said calmly 'I have seen some elsewhere, let me think.' The day of the online a tape arrived from Israel of 20 seconds of Barak playing the same piece and it fitted perfectly.

Declan Smith for Israel and the Arabs, Elusive Peace

Director:

Dan Edge

Producer(s):

Norma Percy

Footage Archive Researcher:

Declan Smith, Nava Mizrahi

Archival Sources:

APTN Library, Israeli Government Press Office, BBC Motion Gallery, ITN Archive, Israeli Broadcasting Authority

Production Company:

Brook Lapping

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

Arafat (2001/2002) US Secretary of State Colin Powell attempts to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but his efforts are derailed by his own hard-line colleagues - and Yasser Arafat himself. The second programme in a major three-part documentary series, Israel and the Arabs: ELUSIVE PEACE, in which Presidents and Prime Ministers, their generals and ministers - and those behind the suicide bombs and assassinations - tell what happened behind closed doors as the violence of the intifada exploded. Reasons for Submission: The thing about Declan is simply he delivers. Everything else is detail. You show him your first preliminary research script and he is away ' thinking up new sources of archive' 'you don't want to use that one, everyone uses that one.' And after every rough cut viewing he is there with suggestions and ideas. No problem is insurmountable. Declan has a secret weapon, his Irish charm. He has people all over the world doing favours for him. For example there was Clinton's Camp David summit, no archive film at all of the main event in programme 1. Stills? Well the interesting ones were property of the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential library, but Presidential libraries don't open till 5 years after the President leaves office - months after we were due to broadcast. Somehow hundreds of them came our way and saved the show. Then there was the amazing footage of Arafat under siege in his muqata. The interview said that Arafat wanted to run down to confront the Israeli troops and had to be restrained. And lo and behold, we have film of the event. Also the Gaza assassination aftermaths in Programme 3, the way you can see the building with its top floor destroyed. And the horrible bloody remains. But Aqaba was the big one - the credit for that Declan has to share with local researcher Nava Mizrahi. Sally Hilton editor of programme 2 and 3 of Elusive Peace writes about Declan So much of Israel and the Arabs centred around secret political meetings between visiting peace makers and lesser known Palestinian and Israeli politicians. The first cut was a series of talking heads and black holes that you can't imagine ever being illustrated.Then Declan came in like Father Christmas bearing gifts of footage of exactly the right guys at the right time and in the right place. Declan tapped into the chaotic Palestinian archive and found footage of top level Hamas meetings and remarkable footage of Arafat's bunker cabinet during the siege, including a meeting where Arafat's aides are trying to persuade him to accept a proposal. I particularly got excited by film showing Rajoub looking extremely grumpy just like it said in the interview. Declan's real genius is giving the viewer a ringside seat at these momentous and terrible episodes in our recent history. You see the wanton destruction of Arafats compound and Arafats terrified reaction. You see the bloody results moments after a suicide bomb in Jerusalem, a little girl sprawled on the pavement looking like a rag doll. You see the despair of an old man in Jenin as the Israeli soliders pick their way through the rubble littered with corpses that was once the town centre. You see a weary Colin Powell give up. Declan doesn't just rely on news footage. He is like an octopus with tentacles everywhere. If an event has been filmed or audio recorded, he will find it, however obscure the source. He makes my job as an editor extremely easy and a real pleasure.

Mitchell and Kenyon Collection (1900-1913)

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

Preservation project undertaken 2000-2005, on the Mitchell and Kenyon collection (800 Edwardian nitrate negatives): Film duplication of restored images from original, fragile materials (see Road to Restoration featurette on enclosed DVD; and enclosed published essay) Production of new master and intermediate film elements. Production of screening prints. Production of speed-corrected Digital Betacam of entire collection Production of Hi-Defintion masters of selected items, for theatrical distribution/DVD Made available through BBC series, DVDs, theatrical screenings and www.screenonline.org.uk

Archival highlights

A very ambitious, technically challenging, preservation project. Results of extraordinary, acclaimed, quality. Materials for all purposes: new 35mm preservation masters, prints and HD for screenings, Digibetas for broadcast. Caught the public imagination, drawing attention to complexity and importance of preservation. See: References within series The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon; Featurette The Road To Restoration on DVD Electric Edwardians; Presentations on archiving of the collection at National Film Theatre and elsewhere; Detailed study of process and implications in book The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon: Edwardian Britain on Film.

CBC Digital Archives

Production Company:

CBC Digital Archives / Les archives de Radio-Canada

Country of Production:

Canada

Synopsis

The CBC Digital Archives Website is a comprehensive collection of 10,000 online television and radio clips that highlights the events, issues and people who have shaped Canada. Drawn from 70 years of programming by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the bilingual (English and French) website is constantly updated by teams of journalists, archivists and technicians in Toronto and Montreal. The site - along with original educational tools - has become a leading source of history in classrooms across Canada. Special care has been made to make the site accessible to visitors with limited vision. The site requires no registration and access is free.

Archival highlights

The CBC Digital Archives Website is honoured to be able to enter the 2006 Focal Awards. This Submission is particularly gratifying coming from a grassroots supporter like Ontario's Rick Hansen Secondary School. Our ever-expanding site has become a leading historical resource that provides a uniquely Canadian perspective on the country's most intriguing personalities and events. By attracting over 500,000 unique visitors per month, the website proves history really is exciting - thanks to the CBC's priceless audio, video and film reports. With over 70,000 minutes of digitized material online, CBC is a world leader in allowing free access to its historic archives.

Good Night and Good Luck

Director:

George Clooney

Producer(s):

Grant Heslov

Footage Archive Researcher:

Kenn Rabin

Archival Sources:

BBC Motion Gallery/CBS New Archive

Production Company:

Warner Bros

Country of Production:

USA

Synopsis

This film is a no frills account of a period in American history that left visible scars but, as it happens, many have forgotten. David Strathairn - best actor at the Venice Film Festival - is chillingly perfect as Edward R Murrow, the broadcast journalist for the CBS News Show See It Now. Set in 1953, Senator Joseph McCarthy is attempting to rid the US of communist sympathisers while using suspect methods. As Murrow realises McCarthy is restricting civil liberties and sentencing people without trial he risks his job and his livelihood to tell the public the truth.

Archival highlights

BBC Motion Gallery's representation of the CBS News archive enabled us to work closely with Warner Bros on this recent project. Both Clooney and Heslov wanted to create an accurate portrayal of the time so a conscious effort was made to incorporate many key speeches. They decided to divert from the norm and portray McCarthy through the use of real footage from CBS News. The use of this footage accessed via BBC Motion Gallery adds a chilling depth to this award-winning feature film.

Sanyo LCD Television In-Store Demonstration

Director:

James Whiteley

Producer(s):

Joanna Urwin

Archival Sources:

National Geographic Digital Motion

Production Company:

Jay Film & Video

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

In-store demonstration of new LCD Television Reasons for Submission: Innovative use of footage.

A History of European Economic and Monetary Union

Director:

Robert Heitmann, Colin Stevens

Producer(s):

Robert Heitmann, Colin Stevens

Footage Archive Researcher:

Daphné Leveque, Robert Heitmann

Archival Sources:

European Commission, European Parliament, ZDF Enterprises, European Central Bank,Westend Film & TV Produktion

Production Company:

Westend Film & TV Produktion GmbH + Quadrant

Country of Production:

Germany

Synopsis

Since January 1st 2002, more than 300 million European citizens have been using the euro as a normal part of daily life. This film tells the history of Europe's Economic and Monetary Union, starting with the devastation after world war two and ending with the Euro cash change over - an operation that is unique in world history.

Archival highlights

The film is part of a DVD with 9 films used by the European Central Bank for lectures and presentations about the role and organisation of the ECB and other issues relating to Economic and Monetary Union. By illustrating the major milestones towards Europe's Economic and Monetary Union with archive footage, the viewer is taken on a exiting and enlightening journey through time.

Soulwax: NY Excuse

Footage Archive Researcher:

Nadia Marquard Otzen

Archival Sources:

Film Images

Production Company:

Gorgeous

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

Pop Video for band Soulwax. www.kevinenjoyce.com/soulwax/index.html Reasons for Submission: Fabulous use of archive footage.

Virgin Trains

Director:

Chris Hodgkiss & Pip Bishop

Producer(s):

Tim Page

Footage Archive Researcher:

Reid and Casement

Archival Sources:

The Railway Children, Some Like It Hot, North by Northwest, Murder on the Orient Express, The Lady Vanishes

Production Company:

Great Guns

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

Drawing inspiration from the golden era of rail travel, the film takes us on a romantic, cinematic journey onboard a brand new Virgin Train. But it isn't just the luxurious train that evokes the great days of rail travel, mixed with modern day passengers and staff are stars from iconic train films of the past. The wonders of the old are married with the marvels of the new to stunning effect. The greatest of service with the latest technology, heralding an exciting new day for train travel. The story features a star studded cast list, including Sir John Mills, Cary Grant, Jenny Agutter, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.

Archival highlights

Virgin Trains TV advert features many artists from old films edited into the new Virgin Train. The old footage was fundamental focus of the advert and dictated the art directional look for the whole film. We had to light each modern day shot to compliment the old footage that would then be dropped into shot in post production. It was only made possible through the very latest digital technology, working with the production company Great Guns, taking 9 months to complete.

A Very British Olympics

Director:

Dominic Sutherland

Producer(s):

Dominic Sutherland

Footage Archive Researcher:

Angela Spindler-Brown

Archival Sources:

BBC Motion Gallery, Footage Farm, British Movietonews, Huntley Film Archives, OTAB

Production Company:

BBC

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

A documentary that tells the story of the last London Olympics in 1948. The world was a very different place then as it was recovering from the years of the WWII. London was under pressure but it did cope and staged glorious games. The British spirit and the sense of humour did help. The documentary and the archive footage manage to re-create the atmosphere and spirit of that time.

Archival highlights

The documentary is using archive material, mostly in colour, not see on our TV screens before. Although many productions make such claims, A Very British Olympics has footage which hasn't been seen on TV screens before. Thus the claim to fame: discovered colour footage used not for its own purposues but in the service of the story of London 1948 Olympics.

The Pet and the Beast - 100 Years of Natural History Perception

Director:

Gerhard Thiel

Producer(s):

Annette Scheurich

Footage Archive Researcher:

Peter Fera

Archival Sources:

Transit Film, Bild Archiv Okapia KG, MAVIS Prod. Gesellschaft, Prof. Dr. Hans Hass, BBC Motion Gellery, ITN Archive

Production Company:

Marco Polo Film AG

Country of Production:

Germany

Synopsis

From the silent era onwards, animals were always a cherished subject of filmmakers. In this film, director Gerhard Thiel explores the history of wildlife filmmaking using a selection of humorous, strange, bizarre, cruel, interesting and entertaining footage from the past 100 years. It is a journey of discovery, showing in detail how our present-day image of nature evolved.

Archival highlights

Without the vast experience and memory of Peter Fera, this film would not have been possible. It shows how important knowledgeable researchers are and how footage can be used to make entertaining films and at the same time learning a lot about history.

TV Makeovers That Changed the World

Director:

Pete Woods

Producer(s):

Jex Lindsay

Footage Archive Researcher:

Susan Huxley

Archival Sources:

BBC Motion Gallery, ITN Archive/C4, National Gas Archive, Film Images

Production Company:

North One Television

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

The programme explored our national obsession with improving our homes, cookery, gardening and eventually our complete self-image, via the people and programmes that showed us how. From 1945 to date, featuring pioneering DIY guru Barry Bucknell, via Fanny Craddock all the way through to Changing Rooms and the ultimate make-over madness, plastic surgery.

Archival highlights

The show pulled together an enormous, genuinely fascinating range of material old and new to show (both entertainingly and educationally) how our viewing habits have helped shape (as much as been shaped by) social, historical attitudes and concerns.

American Masters / Arena - No Direction Home: Bob Dylan

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Producer(s):

Jeff Rosen, Susan Lacy, Nigel Sinclair, Anthony Wall, Martin Scorsese

Footage Archive Researcher:

Jeff Rosen, Jessica Cohen, Tia Lessin, Chelsea Hoffman, Andrew Wright, Lewanne Jones, Mark McElhatten

Archival Sources:

D.A. Pennebaker, Murray Lerner, Historic Films Archive, The Estate of Ralph J. Gleason, The Alan Lomax Collection, Image Bank Film/Getty Images, J. Fred MacDonald, CBC TV Archive Sales, BBC Motion Gallery, Malcolm Leo and Global ImageWorks

Production Company:

American Masters, Thirteen/WNET New York, BBC: Arena, Spitfire

Country of Production:

USA

Synopsis

Bob Dylan gives his only interview in 20 years, participating for the very first time in an exclusive film biography. Directed by Martin Scorsese, with an archive of, literally, never before seen footage - from childhood, from the road, from back-stage and unreleased interviews conducted over the past 15 years with other seminal figures from those times, some of whom, like Allan Ginsberg, are long dead, the film is intimate and incomparable. And, Dylan brings the rights to his legendary music with him 'Blowin' in the Wind, Like a Rolling Stone, Don't Think Twice, Mr. Tambourine Man, It Ain't Me Babe, Just Like A Woman, Positively 4th Street, The Times They Are A-Changin' and infinitely on and on.

A Very British Olympics

Director:

Dominic Sutherland

Producer(s):

Dominic Sutherland

Footage Archive Researcher:

Angela Spindler-Brown

Archival Sources:

BBC Motion Gallery, Footage Farm, British Movietonews, Huntley Film Archives, OTAB

Production Company:

BBC

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

A documentary that tells the story of the last London Olympics in 1948. The world was a very different place then as it was recovering from the years of the WWII. London was under pressure but it did cope and staged glorious games. The British spirit and the sense of humour did help. The documentary and the archive footage manage to re-create the atmosphere and spirit of that time.

Archival highlights

The documentary is using archive material, mostly in colour, not see on our TV screens before. Although many productions make such claims, A Very British Olympics has footage which hasn't been seen on TV screens before. Thus the claim to fame: discovered colour footage used not for its own purposes but in the service of the story of London 1948 Olympics.

Israel and the Arab: Elusive Peace

Director:

Dan Edge

Producer(s):

Norma Percy

Footage Archive Researcher:

Declan Smith, Nava Mizrahi

Archival Sources:

APTN Library, Israeli Government Press Office, BBC Motion Gallery, ITN Archive, Israeli Broadcasting Authority

Production Company:

Brook Lapping

Country of Production:

UK

Synopsis

Israel and the Arabs: Elusive Peace has excellent archive footage but what is unique is the outstanding way this works with the interviews to make you feel you are there. For example episode 2 has unique film of Arafat under siege - but the picture of him quivering restrained by his aides among the rubble is made great by the interviewee who tells you he has just stopped Arafat from running down to confront Israeli tanks with his little pistol. Its this marrying of archive and interview that the series does so well. Other examples: The most extraordinary fly-on-the-wall film in episode 3, the secret conversation between the Israeli Chief of Staff and his Palestinian counterpart at the Aqaba summit - would be meaningless snatched sentences if the interviews with the participants didn't explain what they were conspiring about. In fact rather ordinary film in episode 1 of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright coming out of a meeting with President Chirac scowling comes alive when Albright in interview says "I gave him the dirtiest look !" The Independent - 03/10/2005 Robert Hanks: Norma Percy's documentaries turn the dry world of international politics into thrilling, must-see television. Through a combination of archive footage and interviews with "everybody who matters", you are given the impression of sitting in on history. You can get a sense of the way clashes of personalities and, sometimes, unexpected sympathies between enemies, can shape our world.