DEMAND IN FILMS

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 6105, 22 September 1947, Page 3

DEMAND IN FILMS

NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT'S LIMIT NOTICEABLE TECHNICAL ' INTEREST A recent passenger from New Zealand was Mr Jim Harris senior director of the National Film Unit who, accompanied by his wife and family of three, is making a dual-purpose visit to England and the Continent (says a correspondent of the Free Lance). Their.first stay will be on Jersey., which is home to Mr Harris. They will visit his parents, who, living in the little town of Beaumont, near St. Helier, " kept going gallantly throughout the occupation of the islands by Germany. .The next stop for Mr Harris will be Paris, where he is to attend, as observer for the' New Zealand Association of Scientific Workers, a big conference to be held there in October by British and French scientific-film associations. One of the chief purposes will be the forming of an international organisation. Unlike most New Zealanders, Mr Harris, who holds the degree of M.A. Cantab., need have no qualms about attending a conference in France, for, with his Jersey upbringing, he speaks French fluently. (He came to New. Zealand in 1939 with his English wife, who was formerly with a well-known art firm. After considerable film "experience in England, he has been with the National Film Unit since its' inception in 1941. Directing its progress, despite the war and staff shortages, has grown by leaps and bounds, has been a fascinating experience. " Of course, in some wayfc the war helped the unit to make its astonishing progress, as war-news pictures of any kind | were always avidly sought by audiences." Technical Films On the whole, though, New Zealanders' chief taste seems to be for quite a "technical" type of film, says Mr Harris. . "A mild engineering or mechanical interest is very noticeable in all sections of the community, and films demonstrating how things are made and worked are always immensely popular here. I think a far greater proportion of semitechnical films can be used in New Zealand than in almost any other country. It is possibly because of the.high general level of education in this country."

One of the'most interesting films made by the National Film Unit, and which entailed considerable danger for the workers, was the spectacular one of Ruapehu In eruption. Incidentally, the deep ;*nd quite terrifying, rumbling sound which patrons will remember as emanating convincingly from the mountain, was actually made by k. flight of Spitfires, moving very slowly. While he is in England Mr Harris 1 hopes to interest film people in the possibilities of New Zealand stories as subject matter for films, with this country as setting. He has gathered many stories by New Zealand writers, including inimitable Mfaori legends and tales, which he thinks would make excellent films. " There is no reason why New Zealand should not produce a film every bit as good as the Australian " Overlanders," he observes. Mr Harris aiso intends to investigate the possibility of New Zealand's supplying certain films for inclusion in British news reels.