Documentary

The Dominion Museum Educational Service screens an interesting programme in the Museum Theatre on the third Tuesday in each month. The performances are very well attended, and certainly deserve the support of University students. Although many of the firms seem to date back to pre-war days, yet they retain their freshness as "popular" films do not. Also, it is a welcome change from sanguinary newsreels of the war to see a restful film on, perhaps, how mountains are made—you've no idea how soothing that subject can be.

The programme for the latest screening, on June 17th, included in its ten films such varied subjects as vivisection—an unnecessarily harrowing film; a propagandist film on the morale of the British; a rather amusing "Gay Nineties" collection, from extremely ancient films; and a really appalling British Ministry of Food effort—quite the worst documentary I've ever seen.

A particularly fine item was a commercial two-reeler on the almost unknown heart of Australia. An excellent effect of dry, dusty heat along the incredibly long tracks in the central districts was created. This was a worth-white film, as was a Shell short on the pioneering of the trans-Atlantic clipper route. Very good, too, was "Animals of the Rocky Shore," a British scientific film.

Documentary is most important if we are to raise the standard of films for the people. It is most satisfactory to see an over-full hall when a programme of this nature is shown. We cannot deny that some films— especially the British ones—are very dull, but the effect of these is nullified when we think of [unclear: wonderful] efforts like "Man of Aran" and "Coal-Face."

Next screening, July 15th, 8 p.m.

Whui.

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