This film is currently unavailable
Footsteps
Actor and cameraman engage in a game of ‘grandmother’s footsteps’ in a playfully delightful film.
Overview
Marilyn Halford as the actor-director and William Raban as the cameraman re-enact a popular children’s game, forcing the viewer to acknowledge the physical presence of the person behind the camera. Moving from negative to positive image, and silence to music, Footsteps humorously explores the relationship between camera, actor and spectator, whilst drawing attention to the material nature of film.
Founded in 1966, the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative started life at Better Books, a counter-culture bookshop on Charing Cross Road, where a group led by poet Bob Cobbing and filmmakers Stephen Dwoskin and Jeff Keen met to screen films. Initially inspired by the activities of the New American Cinema Group in New York, the London Co-op grew into a pioneering organisation that incorporated a film workshop, cinema space and distribution office. During its four-decade history, the Co-op played a crucial role in establishing film as an art form in the UK and participated in a vibrant international film scene. This BFI Player collection brings together new scans of films distributed by and/or produced at the London Co-op.
Related
Focii Focii
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1975 9 mins Silent
A female dancer performs in front of what appears to be a wall of mirrors until her reflection takes on a life of its own.
Emily (Third Party Speculation) Emily (Third Party Speculation)
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1979 62 mins
Filmed in a closed domestic environment, this film investigates the question of identification and point of view in cinema.
Tea Leaf Tea Leaf
Documentary 1988 8 mins
An intimate account of frustration and disarray in 1980s Britain from the point of view of a young woman.
Spot the Microdot Spot the Microdot
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1969 8 mins
An unprintable film, handmade by punching holes into an opaque 16mm strip.
Guerillere Talks Guerillere Talks
Documentary 1978 24 mins
Six film portraits of women associated with the punk music scene in 1970s New York.
Blind White Duration Blind White Duration
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1968 13 mins Silent
Interaction between a blank white screen and filmed snow.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.