This film is part of Free
Savage Gold
Re-enactment of an expedition undertaken by George M. Dyott, which explored the jungles of Brazil and Ecuador in search of Colonel Percy Fawcett.
Overview
Mute copy of a sound film issued in 1933 in the United States which re-enacts the jungle expedition, to Brazil and Ecuador, undertaken in 1928 by George M. Dyott in his search for Colonel Percy Fawcett. With an emphasis on the hunting and head-shrinking rituals of a tribe encountered by the expedition, Savage Gold is closer in spirit to an exploitation film than a reliable document, but is fascinating nonetheless.
George Miller Dyott (1883-1972) was an aviator and explorer. In 1930 he published an account of his search for Percy Fawcett entitled ‘Manhunting in the Jungle’. Percy Harrison Fawcett (b.1867) was an archaeologist and explorer. He made seven expeditions to Brazil between 1906 and 1924. Research had led him to believe that a lost city existed somewhere in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil; he named the city ‘Z’. Along with his eldest son (Jack), Fawcett disappeared in 1925 during an expedition to find the lost city.
This reconstruction contains simulated animal cruelty and tribal violence.Related
Shackleton South Georgia Birds Shackleton South Georgia Birds
1920 13 mins Silent
Wildlife in the remote South Atlantic, captured during the ill-fated Shackleton-Rowett Expedition
Jenny's Dog Team Journey Jenny's Dog Team Journey
Documentary 1975 25 mins
Travels with my camera: inspirational seventy-something Scottish film-maker Jenny Gilbertson travels through Northern Canada by dog sled, with four adults and a baby.
The Conquest of Everest The Conquest of Everest
Documentary 1953 78 mins
Colour film (narrated by Meredith Edwards) telling the story of the ‘Mount Everest Expedition 1953’, which saw the first successful ascent of the mountain.
Preparing for an Expedition Preparing for an Expedition
Travelogue 1959 8 mins Silent
Scenes from a documentary or educational programme filmed in South America on the subject of how to prepare for an expedition.
Southward on the "Quest" Southward on the "Quest"
Documentary 1922 68 mins Silent
Potent record of the 1921 Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic expedition, marked by the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Cape to Cairo Cape to Cairo
Travelogue 1926 1 mins
The Court Treatt expedition arrives in Luxor in this fragment from the film record of their journey across Africa.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Trixie Parkin-Christie of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.