IMPERIAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 18

IMPERIAL INSTITUTE.

FREE KINEMATOGRAPH EXHIBITION. (From Our Own Con respondent.) LONDON, July 1. A free kinematograph exhibition for two sessions of two hours each day is ■what the Imperial Institute is providing from now onwards. This has been made possible in the first place by the Empire Marketing Board, who realised the necessity and value of educating the home public, and especially the boys, girls, and youths, in an attractive way in the scenery activities and products of each and every part of the overseas Empire. Between £5OOO and £6OOO have been found by the Empire Marketing Board, and this money has gone to the building of a kinema hall inside the institute. It lias been established beside what was the Ceylon tea garden. The 'heatre is a long narrow chamber fitted with comfortable leather-covered tip-up seats, from every one of which a good view of the screen is obtained. The decorations have been carried out in subdued shades of green; ventilation. which was one of the most serious problems to be. faced, has been effected satisfactorily; and there is good lighting. The seating capacity is 390. The Imperial Institute is for the present compelled to rely, on films lent by the High Commissioners and the colonial Government trade officers in London. A certain number of suitable films will also he hired from British producing houses. The 600 now available cover all parts of

the Empire, but as a number of them were made for Wembley, and others have been used a good deal, and consequently are not in the best condition, the choice is restricted. Here would seem to be the opportunity for dominion Governments to make further and acceptable presentations of films to the institute, for it is doubtful if there will ever be a greater opportunity for educating t’’e children of this country in the affairs of the Empire. Among the New Zealand films which appear on the programme are "Meat Raising,” ‘‘The White Fleece.” ‘‘New Zealand Apples,” “Dairying,” “Scenery,” “Kauri Gum Industry.” “Agriculture,” and “New Zealand Flax.”

It is proposed to show the films as a supplement to the conducted tours for parties of school children which take place daily in the exhibition galleries of the Imperial Institute, the only place where the Empire may be seen displayed in little under a single roof. It is much hoped that schools and associations will take the opportunity now provided of seeing the Empire and its life pictorially displayed. For the present it has been arranged to hold two daily sessions, one from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and the other from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. The films will be short, and several will be shown at a single session. As it has been found that the largest attendances at the Imperial Institute are always- present on Sundays, an application for a license to open on Sundays has been submitted to the London County Council; while, in order to assist school teachers in synchronising the visits of school children with their courses of study, the nature of the films to be exhibited will be an-

nounced at least one month in advance in the official journal circulated among L.C.C. school teachers. Lieutenant-general Sir William Fursc, Director of the Imperial Institute, entertained a number of press representatives before the kinema was opened to the public and a short programme of films was shown. These included “Group Settlement in Western Australia,” “Zanzibar,” “ Baghdad,” and “ Sport in India.” Before the exhibition Sir William referred .to the institute generally. Speaking of the New Zealand Court, he said that when The Times brought out its New Zealand Supplement he read it with great interest, but his interest was increased when he found that no aspect of the Dominion was touched on that was not covered —and interestingly and educationally covered —by the exhibits in the New Zealand Court. He had four or five artists constantly employed in making dioramas for the other courts. If he had the money, and put on a great number of artists, he would get the work done sooner, but the standard would be lower. The new kinema will be a great attraction to the public, and, as at Wembley, the film was one of the chief educational features of the exhibition, so -at the Imperial Institute it should prove a most powerful source of Empire propaganda.