3 February
–
23 April 2006
Films:
Section 1: Defining DocumentaryHumphrey Jennings 1907-1950
Listen to Britain 1942
© Crown Copyright / Film Images
Jennings' poetic film Listen to Britain 1942, a masterpiece of propaganda, was commissioned by the Ministry of Information ostensibly to encourage the United States to join the Second World War. Making distinctive use of familiar images of England and Englishness, Jennings presents a Britain in imminent danger of disappearing. His use of associative montage in the film, combining filmed images with music and poetry, challenged straightforward definitions of documentary at the time - it is often considered the pinnacle of his distinctive style. His avant-garde approach had a profound influence on subsequent generations of filmmakers.