A confronting, graphic documentary made up of footage shot inside concentration camps in 1945, some of it never before seen, is one of the features of this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
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German Concentration Camps Factual Survey is the newly completed version of a project that began in 1945. It is made up of material shot by cameramen who accompanied troops as they made their way through Europe at the end of World War II. Alfred Hitchcock was an adviser on the original project. But it was shelved in 1945, and has only recently been completed by Britain’s Imperial War Museum.
Dr Toby Haggith, senior curator at the museum, is a guest of the festival, which launched its 2014 program on Tuesday. Canberra author Helen Lewis, daughter of armed forces cameraman Mike Lewis, who filmed at Belsen, will also be at MIFF.
The restored film functions as a time capsule, showing not only the horrors the cameras captured, but also how the British producers of the film intended to present the footage. It was designed to be shown to German audiences to educate them about what had happened in the camps. This restored version uses the original narration, newly recorded.
All the material has been restored and digitised, and the contents of what was intended to be a sixth reel have been added to the film, assembled according to the original shot list.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in March.
“They are being very selective with the festivals it is going to this year, which is why it’s so special that it’s coming to MIFF,” says MIFF artistic director Michelle Carey.
This year MIFF will screen more than 340 films, including 28 world premieres and 168 Australian premieres. It opens and closes with Australian features, beginning with Predestination, directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, and starring Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor and Sarah Snook. The closing night film is Felony, directed by Matthew Saville and written by its star, Joel Edgerton.
These days, movie-making is firmly entrenched in the digital realm, something that MIFF reflects. This year, the festival is screening only 25 movies (shorts and features) on celluloid. In 2012 there were 70; in 2011 there were 171. Yet, says Carey, there is still plenty of interest among filmmakers in the medium.
Celebrating this, MIFF has a special section, Celluloid Dreams, showcasing a dozen features that have been shot on film, There are veteran directors, such as Philippe Garrel, who prefer to shoot on film as they always have. But there is a younger generation, directing a first or second features, who have opted for celluloid. What unifies the 12 films in the section, Carey says, is a sense of experimentation and openness.
MIFF audiences this year will also have the chance to spend even more time in the cinema. The festival is presenting more than 15 films that are 2½ hours or more in length. The most extreme is example is French director Jacques Rivette’s legendary and rarely seen Out 1: Noli Me Tangere (1971), an eight-part work totalling 12 hours and 40 minutes, that is screening in four sessions over a single weekend. It has been shown only once before in Australia, and there is plenty of advance interest in it, Carey says.
The Age is a festival sponsor.
A confronting, graphic documentary featuring footage shot inside concentration camps in 1945 is one of the features of this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. MIFF launched its 2014 program on Tuesday July 8.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey is the newly completed version of a project that began in 1945. It is made up of material shot by cameramen who accompanied troops as they made their way through Europe at the end of the war. But the project was shelved the same year, and has only recently been completed by Britain’s Imperial War Museum
Dr Toby Haggith, senior curator at the museum, is a festival guest. Author Helen Lewis, daughter of armed forces cameraman Mike Lewis, who filmed at Belsen, will also be at MIFF.
The restored film functions as a time capsule; showing not only the horrors the cameras captured, but also how the British producers of the film intended to present the footage. It was designed to be shown to German audiences to educate them about what had happened in the camps. This restored version uses the original narration, newly recorded.
All the material has been restored and digitised, and the contents of what was intended to be a sixth reel have been added to the film, assembled according to the original shot list.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in March. “They are being very selective with the festivals it is going to this year,” says MIFF artistic director Michelle Care “which is why it’s so special that it’s coming to MIFF”
This year MIFF will screen more than 340 films, including 28 world premieres and 168 Australian premieres. It opens and closes with Australian features, beginning with Predestination, directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, and starring Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor and Sarah Snook. The closing night film is Felony, directed by Matthew Saville and written by its star, Joel Edgerton.
These days, movie-making is firmly entrenched in the digital realm, something that MIFF reflects. This year, the festival is screening only 25 movies (shorts and features) on celluloid. In 2012 there were 70, and 2011 there were 171. Yet, says Michelle Carey, there is still plenty of interest among filmmakers in the medium.
Celebrating this, MIFF has a special section, Celluloid Dreams, showcasing a dozen features that have been shot on film, There are some veteran directors, such as Philippe Garrel, who prefer to shoot on film as they always have. But there is a younger generation, directing their first or second features, who have opted for celluloid. What unifies the 12 films in the section, Carey says, is a sense of experimentation and openness.
MIFF audiences this year will also have the chance to spend even more time in the cinema. The festival is presenting more than 15 films that are two-and-a-half hours or more in length. The most extreme is example is French director Jacques Rivette’s legendary and rarely seen Out 1: Noli Me Tangere (1971), an eight-part work totalling 12 hours and 40 minutes, that is screening in four sessions over a single weekend. It has been shown only once before in Australia, and there is plenty of advance interest in it, Carey says.
The Age is a festival sponsor
A confronting, graphic documentary featuring footage shot inside concentration camps in 1945 is one of the features of this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. MIFF launched its 2014 program on Tuesday July 8.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey is the newly completed version of a project that began in 1945. It is made up of material shot by cameramen who accompanied troops as they made their way through Europe at the end of the war. But the project was shelved the same year, and has only recently been completed by Britain’s Imperial War Museum
Dr Toby Haggith, senior curator at the museum, is a festival guest. Author Helen Lewis, daughter of armed forces cameraman Mike Lewis, who filmed at Belsen, will also be at MIFF.
The restored film functions as a time capsule; showing not only the horrors the cameras captured, but also how the British producers of the film intended to present the footage. It was designed to be shown to German audiences to educate them about what had happened in the camps. This restored version uses the original narration, newly recorded.
All the material has been restored and digitised, and the contents of what was intended to be a sixth reel have been added to the film, assembled according to the original shot list.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in March. “They are being very selective with the festivals it is going to this year,” says MIFF artistic director Michelle Care “which is why it’s so special that it’s coming to MIFF”
This year MIFF will screen more than 340 films, including 28 world premieres and 168 Australian premieres. It opens and closes with Australian features, beginning with Predestination, directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, and starring Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor and Sarah Snook. The closing night film is Felony, directed by Matthew Saville and written by its star, Joel Edgerton.
These days, movie-making is firmly entrenched in the digital realm, something that MIFF reflects. This year, the festival is screening only 25 movies (shorts and features) on celluloid. In 2012 there were 70, and 2011 there were 171. Yet, says Michelle Carey, there is still plenty of interest among filmmakers in the medium.
Celebrating this, MIFF has a special section, Celluloid Dreams, showcasing a dozen features that have been shot on film, There are some veteran directors, such as Philippe Garrel, who prefer to shoot on film as they always have. But there is a younger generation, directing their first or second features, who have opted for celluloid. What unifies the 12 films in the section, Carey says, is a sense of experimentation and openness.
MIFF audiences this year will also have the chance to spend even more time in the cinema. The festival is presenting more than 15 films that are two-and-a-half hours or more in length. The most extreme is example is French director Jacques Rivette’s legendary and rarely seen Out 1: Noli Me Tangere (1971), an eight-part work totalling 12 hours and 40 minutes, that is screening in four sessions over a single weekend. It has been shown only once before in Australia, and there is plenty of advance interest in it, Carey says.
The Age is a festival sponsor
A confronting, graphic documentary featuring footage shot inside concentration camps in 1945 is one of the features of this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. MIFF launched its 2014 program on Tuesday July 8.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey is the newly completed version of a project that began in 1945. It is made up of material shot by cameramen who accompanied troops as they made their way through Europe at the end of the war. But the project was shelved the same year, and has only recently been completed by Britain’s Imperial War Museum
Dr Toby Haggith, senior curator at the museum, is a festival guest. Author Helen Lewis, daughter of armed forces cameraman Mike Lewis, who filmed at Belsen, will also be at MIFF.
The restored film functions as a time capsule; showing not only the horrors the cameras captured, but also how the British producers of the film intended to present the footage. It was designed to be shown to German audiences to educate them about what had happened in the camps. This restored version uses the original narration, newly recorded.
All the material has been restored and digitised, and the contents of what was intended to be a sixth reel have been added to the film, assembled according to the original shot list.
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in March. “They are being very selective with the festivals it is going to this year,” says MIFF artistic director Michelle Care “which is why it’s so special that it’s coming to MIFF”
This year MIFF will screen more than 340 films, including 28 world premieres and 168 Australian premieres. It opens and closes with Australian features, beginning with Predestination, directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, and starring Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor and Sarah Snook. The closing night film is Felony, directed by Matthew Saville and written by its star, Joel Edgerton.
These days, movie-making is firmly entrenched in the digital realm, something that MIFF reflects. This year, the festival is screening only 25 movies (shorts and features) on celluloid. In 2012 there were 70, and 2011 there were 171. Yet, says Michelle Carey, there is still plenty of interest among filmmakers in the medium.
Celebrating this, MIFF has a special section, Celluloid Dreams, showcasing a dozen features that have been shot on film, There are some veteran directors, such as Philippe Garrel, who prefer to shoot on film as they always have. But there is a younger generation, directing their first or second features, who have opted for celluloid. What unifies the 12 films in the section, Carey says, is a sense of experimentation and openness.
MIFF audiences this year will also have the chance to spend even more time in the cinema. The festival is presenting more than 15 films that are two-and-a-half hours or more in length. The most extreme is example is French director Jacques Rivette’s legendary and rarely seen Out 1: Noli Me Tangere (1971), an eight-part work totalling 12 hours and 40 minutes, that is screening in four sessions over a single weekend. It has been shown only once before in Australia, and there is plenty of advance interest in it, Carey says.
The Age is a festival sponsor