Rogue Reels: Oppositional Film in Britain 1945-90

Margaret Dickinson's history of oppositional film is a pioneering account of an important by little documented aspect of modern British Cinema: the often extreme form of independent cinema that accompanied the radical politics of the 1960s and 70s.

Margaret Dickinson's history of oppositional film is a pioneering account of an important by little documented aspect of modern British Cinema: the often extreme form of independent cinema that accompanied the radical politics of the 1960s and 70s. During the 70s an organized independent film and video movement emerged (including such film making groups as London Filmmakers' Co-op, Cinema Action, Amber, Liberation Films and Sheffield Co-op).This avant-garde exerted an increasing influence within the British media mainstream - changing attitudes and practice, and enabling cross-over work by filmmakers such as Peter Greenaway and Sally Potter. This oppositional sector revolutionized British media, especially during the formation of Channel Four at the start of the 1980s, even as the political landscape at large was shifting dramatically to the right.Organized into three parts, "Rogue Reels" provides the first overview of the various strands of politicized film making that emerged in postwar Britain. Part I is a concise history of the movement. Part II collects key texts and documents form the period 1971-92. Part III is made up of seven oral histories of the most influential production houses. Recuperating the radical tradition of postwar film making (which continues to impact on today's media culture), "Rogue Reels" raises urgent issues of policy and practice. Mixing narrative with first-hand accounts, and the important statements and documents of this movement the book provides the first overview of the different strands of film making that are still impacting on avant-garde and mainstream practice.

CONTENT

Part 1 A short history

Hope deferred, 1945-65

Confrontation and community, 1966-74

Assault on the mainstream, 1974-80

Paradoxical success, 1980-90

Independent Film: A chronology.

Part 2 Texts and documents, 1971-92

Introductory notes, Margaret Dickinson

Film journals in Britain and France, Claire Johnston

Notes on political cinema, Jim Pines

A reflection on the history of the London film-makers' co-op, Malcolm Le Grice

Etats genereaux du cinema, Simon Hartog

Nationalizing the film industry, ACTT Nationalization Forum Report; black films in white Britain, Jim Pines

Notes, London Women's Film Group

Patterns of discrimination, ACTT

Letter, Steve Dwoskin et al

Independent film-making in the 70s, 1976 IFA Conference Organizing Committee

Polemic, First Festival of Independent British Cinema

Introduction, Phil Hardy et al

Memory, phantasy, identity - days of hope and the politics of the past, Colin MacCabe

"Penthesilea", Mary Kelly

"The Nightcleaners part 1", Claire Johnston

Perils of film policy, Simon Hartog

The Independent Film-makers Association and the Fourth Channel, John Ellis;

Channel Four - innovation or ITV2?, IFA

The IFA and the ACTT - a piece of paper, Simon Hartog

Grant-aided workshop production declaration, ACTT

The IFA - film club/trade association, Frank Abbott

"so that you can live (for Shirley)", Michael Channan

Sins of commission, Rod Stoneman

Doing without the broadcast media, Julian Petley

Post modernism and the populist tendency, Jez Welsh

Sexual identity - questions of difference, Kobena Mercer.

Part 3 Oral histories

Introductory notes and comments

Contemporary films; plato films

Angry arts film society and liberation films

Amber

Cinema action

Sheffield action

Sheffield co-op

black audio film collective.