Latest movies by SagarMitchellJamesKenyon

Youth and Education

01 01 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Movie Title: Youth and Education

Movie Language: Silent

Movie Length: 25 min

Movie Synopsis:
When Peter Worden opened two sealed barrels in a shop basement in Blackburn, England, he made an astounding discovery: 800 reels of nitrate film stock, shot by Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon from 1900 to 1913 to supply the traveling film exhibitors who toured town halls, fairs, and theaters displaying the new miracle of film. This treasure trove of footage, as historically significant as the Lumiere and Edison films, shows a bustling England--school children, workers, holiday celebrations, and more--that had been lost, until now, to the shadows of history.

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Workers

01 01 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Movie Title: Workers

Movie Language: Silent

Movie Length: 18 min

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People and Places

01 01 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Movie Title: People and Places

Movie Language: Silent

Movie Length: 20 min

Movie Synopsis:
The Story of the Mitchell & Kenyon Collection The movies included on this disc were filmed between 1900 and 1913, shown in various venues, and then forgotten. In 1922, Mitchell and Kenyon packed their negatives into barrels and placed them under the floorboards of their Blackburn shop. There they remained until 1994 when they were discovered when the building was being prepared for demolition. A very luck find, since none of the 28 hours of film, over 800 rolls of nitrate negatives, that was discovered had been preserved in any film archive. These slice-of-life films are fascinating. Portraying everyday events, masses of people walking to work in a factory, children going to school, parades and the like, they show a lifestyle that no longer exists. Since these films were mainly shown at fairs and in music halls, working class forms of entertainment, they focus on workers. This is a segment of society, especially at the time, that was largely ignored. These films are a rare opportunity to see how these people worked and lived.

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High Days and Holidays

01 01 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Movie Title: High Days and Holidays

Movie Language: Silent

Movie Length: 25 min

Movie Synopsis:
There's no acting, no plot, no special effects. Just crowds of everyday people doing everyday things: entering and leaving a factory, walking by a seaside promenade, marching in a parade, playing soccer, or rushing through downtown intersections. The filmmakers concentrated on the working class from nearly except part of the UK except the SouthEast (where London is located). Each film is only about 3-5 minutes long but were strung together to from a two-hour show. Because the films were created from the original negatives, they possess clarity, depth of field, and details that we don't normally see in films of this period. High-definition technology compensates for the highly-variable, hand-cranked film speed. So rather than the speeded-up jerkiness you see in silent movies, you get the graceful, natural movements of real people. And instead of the stiff-lipped, formally posed portraits visible in period photos, you see smiling faces from people jostling each other to be filmed. (Or in some cases, cursing the camera for the invasion of privacy.) The result? Vibrant, electric, and involving home movies of people that could be your neighbors and of buildings that could be just down the street. Except these people and streets disappeared nearly a century ago. About three dozen films are divided into five main topics. For a complete list of films, see the end of this review. When Peter Worden opened two sealed barrels in a shop basement in Blackburn, England, he made an astounding discovery: 800 reels of nitrate film stock, shot by Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon from 1900 to 1913 to supply the traveling film exhibitors who toured town halls, fairs, and theaters displaying the new miracle of film. During the Edwardian era, showmen from the UK hired filmmakers Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon to film locals going about their everyday lives. These films would then be shown that same night in music halls or traveling fairs. (Movie theaters would not be invented until World War I.) The ads would proclaim See yourself on screen or Local films for local people. Often, Mitchell & Kenyon would barely have four hours to film, process, and project. This truly allowed the locals to see themselves on screen.

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