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The Camera is Ours: Women Documentary Makers

Wednesday, 21 September, 2022, 5.30 – 7.45 p.m.

Kelvin Hall auditorium, National Library of Scotland,1445 Argyle Street,Glasgow,G3 8AW,GB

The Camera is Ours highlights the work of Britain’s pioneering women documentary makers through five beautifully restored short films.

“The trouble with you is that you look at things as though they were in a goldfish bowl. I’m going to break your goldfish bowl” – Ruby Grierson, to her brother John.
Scotland-born John Grierson is sometimes referred to as ‘the father of British documentary’ and credited with coining the term documentary itself. But from the beginning, female innovators were at work within the genre, including Grierson’s own sisters Ruby and Marion.

We’re delighted to showcase their work alongside that of other pioneering female documentary makers in this programme of new digital restorations from the British Film Institute.

Our screening will be followed by a Q&A with the programme curator, Ros Cranston (BFI).

The programme includes five films from documentary pioneers:

– Beside the Seaside (Marion Grierson, 1935, 23 mins) -the pleasures of Britain’s coasts
– They Also Serve (Ruby Grierson, 1940, 9 mins) – a drama doc about housewives during the Second World War
– Birth-day (Brigid ‘Budge’ Cooper, 1945, 22 mins) – demystifying maternity provision, stars Molly Weir [CW: pregnancy/childbirth, mention of miscarriage]
– Homes for the People (Kay Mander, 1945, 23 mins) – working class women speak about their lives
– Something Nice to Eat (Sarah Erulkar, 1967, 21 mins) – an innovative and psychedelic film featuring Jean Shrimpton

Please note that : Beside the Seaside and Birth-day include scenes reflecting harmful racist views that were pervasive at the time of their making.

Restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation
Restoration funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation
Access: The screening will be captioned.

National Library of Scotland Website

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