Basil Wright - Citizendia

Basil Wright, (June 12, 1907, Sutton, Surrey - 14 October 1987, Frieth, Buckinghamshire, England), was an English documentary filmmaker, film historian, film critic and teacher. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Sutton is the principal town in the London Borough of Sutton. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Frieth is a village in the Parish of Hambleden, in Buckinghamshire, England. Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality

Basil Wright was a key figure in the British documentary film movement and the first recruit to join John Grierson at the Empire Marketing Board's film unit in 1930, shortly after he graduated from Cambridge University. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality John Grierson ( 26 April 1898 &ndash 19 February 1972) is often considered the Father of British and Canadian The Empire Marketing Board was formed in May 1926 by the Colonial Secretary Leo Amery to promote inter- Empire trade and to persuade consumers to 'Buy Empire' Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Wright's 1934 film Song of Ceylon is his most celebrated work. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Song of Ceylon ( 1934) is a Documentary film directed by the British documentary filmmaker Basil Wright. Shot on location in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) the film was completed with the composer Walter Leigh at the GPO film unit in London. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Walter Leigh ( June 22, 1905 &ndash June 12, 1942) was an English Composer. At the GPO Wright acted as producer and wrote the script for Night Mail (1936) for which he received a joint directorial credit with Harry Watt. Night Mail is a 1936 Documentary film about a London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS mail train from London to Harry Watt may refer to Harry Watt (director, a film director A Harry Watt drill-bit a type of Mortiser Wright had introduced his friend W. H. Auden to the film unit and the poet’s verse was famously included in the film. Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973 ˈwɪstən ˈhjuː ˈɔːdən who signed his works W

During WW2 Wright worked only as a producer, first at John Grierson's Film Centre before joining The Crown Film Unit between 1945 and 1946 as producer-in-charge. John Grierson ( 26 April 1898 &ndash 19 February 1972) is often considered the Father of British and Canadian Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Among the best known films he produced for Crown are Humphrey Jennings' A Diary For Timothy (1946) and A Defeated People (1946). Humphrey Jennings ( August 19 1907 &ndash September 24 1950) was an English Filmmaker and one of the founders of the Returning to direction in the early 1950s, his films included Waters of Time (1951) made for the Festival of Britain, World Without End (1953) directed with Paul Rotha for UNESCO and Greece: The Immortal Land (1958) in collaboration with his friend the artist Michael Ayrton. The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which opened in London and around Britain in May 1951 United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 Michael Ayrton (b 20 February 1921 – d 17 November 1975) was an English artist and writer known as a painter printmaker

Writing throughout the 30s and 40s, Basil Wright had contributed to the theoretical development of documentary in the movement’s journals Cinema Quarterly, World Film News and Documentary Newsletter. He was the film critic for The Spectator after Graham Greene left. For other uses see Spectator. The Spectator is a weekly British Magazine first published on 6 July Henry Graham Greene OM, CH (2 October 1904 &ndash 3 April 1991 was an English writer best known as a novelist but who also produced Short stories Wright was a regular contributor to the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound during the 40s and 50s. The British Film Institute ( BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film television Sight & Sound ( is a British monthly Film Magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI He published a small book: The Uses of Film in 1948 and his personal (extensive) history of cinema The Long View in 1974. He taught at the University of Southern California (1962 and 1968), The National Film and Television School in London (1971-73) and Temple University (1977-78). The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly The National Film and Television School (NFTS was established in 1971 and is based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, 25 miles west Temple University is a state-related public research University in Philadelphia. He was Governor of the Bfi , a fellow of the British Film Academy and President of the International Association of Documentary Filmmakers.

In his films Wright combined an ability to look closely and carefully at a subject with a poetic and often experimental approach to editing and sound. In Britain he is commemorated with a film prize awarded biennially by the Royal Anthropological Institute. The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI is the world's longest established anthropological organisation with a global membership

1 Centenary celebrations
2 Filmography as director
3 References
4 External links
5 See also

Centenary celebrations

In honor of Basil Wright's centenary year, his career, and the careers of his colleagues and fellow centenarians: Edgar Anstey, Marion Grierson, Humphrey Jennings and Paul Rotha, were celebrated with a season of films between August and October 2007 at the British Film Institute in London. The British Film Institute ( BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film television

Filmography as director

Conquest (1930)
The Country Comes To Town (*Bfi's Screenonline links to the Film. )
O'er Hill and Dale (*Bfi's Screenonline links to the Film. )
Liner Cruising South
Cargo From Jamaica
Windmill in Barbados
Song of Ceylon (*Bfi's Screenonline links to the Film. )
Children at School (*Forthcoming on a New Bfi Boxset DVD)
The Face of Scotland (*Available from Scottish Screen)
Waters of Time (*Available from Museum in Docklands, London)
World Without End Film
The Stained Glass at Fairford(*Watch at the Arts Council Film Collection)
Greece: The Immortal Land
Greek Sculpture: 3000 BC to 300 BC
A Place For Gold

References

Basil Wright, (1948), The Uses of Film, Bodley Head, Oxford. Song of Ceylon ( 1934) is a Documentary film directed by the British documentary filmmaker Basil Wright.
Basil Wright, (1974), The Long View: An International History of Cinema, Secker & Warburg, London.

Ian Aitken, (1998), The documentary film movement: an anthology, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.
Martin Stollery, (2000) Alternative empires: European modernist cinemas and the cultures of imperialism, Exeter, University of Exeter Press.

Contents

Centenary celebrations

Filmography as director

References

External links

See also