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'International Brigade', sometimes called International Column was made by Vera Elkan for Ivor Montagu’s PFI in 1938. The film was a shot much like a home movie and showed the daily existence and training of the International Brigade in Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War, including British members Jack Cunningham and George Nathan. The circumstances under which International Brigade were released make the film both a significant political document and a significant moment in British film history. 'Defence of Madrid', also held by the NFTVA, was released by Kino, an important distributor of left wing films on 16mm film in the UK, two years before. 'Defence of Madrid' was a successful release which made people aware of the influence of film news provided by commercial companies and the need to balance the effect and opinions given by them. 'International Brigade', although not as successful, was instrumental in increasing domestic awareness and understanding of the Spanish Civil War. More generally, the use of film and video to record or interpret events according to different political assumptions than ‘mainstream’ media are felt to operate under is reflected in many films held by the NFTVA and interestingly complements newsfilm and official film holdings. 'Deadly the Harvest' (1960) is another such film with political motivations, this time offering a perspective on the CND march in London of that year. |
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