Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive is a free public access resource for teachers, students, historians and anyone who has an interest in moving images. Spanning from 1897 to the present day, the films in the Digital Film Archive cover all aspects of life in Northern Ireland and includes everything from dramas to documentaries, newsreels and features, animation to amateur footage.
This film is part of Free
The Fugitive
There is a baby and a bandit loose in the streets of Derry, but which one is the fugitive, the robber or the runaway pram?
From the collection of:
Overview
This delightful film by Terence McDonald is rich with references from Battleship Potemkin’s Odessa steps to the US soap opera Peyton Place. The slapstick antics begin in Brooke Park, as local citizens enjoy a pleasant walk but perhaps not as the park’s founders intended. A runaway pram and a robber on the run are pursued by through the city by a multiplying mob, even the 1927 statue of MP Robert Alexander Ferguson plays his part. As the storylines collide who will save the day?
Terence McDonald (1926 – 2001) was a teacher, film historian, film collector and a pioneering amateur filmmaker from Derry. He made 35 films in his lifetime covering a wide range of themes such as mental health, travelling theatre, and portraits of his home town, Derry. His playful fiction films often pay homage to classic cinema moments from Peyton Place to Potemkin, from Chaplin to Jacques Tati. Terence McDonald undertook all aspects of production - filming, sound recording and editing and produced a body of remarkably sophisticated work. This film is courtesy of his son, Peter McDonald.
Related
Watch for free
Paper Boat Paper Boat
Amateur film 1949 22 mins Silent
Prize-winning amateur film about the fleeting affair between a housewife and a young man on a summer day.
Watch for free
Coming Shortly Coming Shortly
Amateur film 1954 4 mins Silent Location: High Wycombe
Silly silent film fun and thrills abound in this award-winning 1954 amateur short spoofing the world of Hollywood trailers.
Watch for free
Amelia and the Angel Amelia and the Angel
Amateur film 1958 26 mins Location: South Kensington
A young angel scours London for her wings in this tender short by the young Ken Russell.
Watch for free
Ladies Hoo Doo Ladies Hoo Doo
Amateur film 1965 19 mins Location: Harrow
Knitting comes in handy when making a film – a comical take on amateur filmmaking by the ladies of a local Pinner film club
Watch for free
Jocelyn in Wonderland Jocelyn in Wonderland
Amateur film 1961 13 mins Silent
Tired little Jocelyn, in her National Health specs, falls asleep in the garden and wakes up in Wonderland in this amateur re-telling of Lewis Carroll's classic.
Watch for free
Stephen the Magician Stephen the Magician
Home movie 1962 3 mins Silent Location: Castleford
A young magician impresses his sister by making a dog appear from under a bucket, and by demonstrating the magic of film itself.
Watch for free
The Open Door The Open Door
Documentary 21 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
Witness the changing face of psychiatric care in this hospital sponsored public information film
Watch for free
The Man From A.U.N.T. The Man From A.U.N.T.
Comedy 1965 5 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
Who is this mysterious man causing chaos in the city of a 1000 rumours? Watch tonight’s feature from Alfred Hiccup to discover Derry’s hidden world.
Watch for free
The Mayor's Parade The Mayor's Parade
Sponsored film 1976 10 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
Watch Anthony and Cleopatra make a triumphant entry in the Mayor’s Parade. What will impress the judges more, good behaviour or a good float?
Watch for free
Nebelung Nebelung
Drama 1978 10 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
A Derry classroom becomes an unlikely setting for this uncanny experimental film by Terence McDonald and Gerry Wills
Watch for free
Zwischen Zwischen
Drama 1970 7 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
Between us is truth, let there be truth between us
Watch for free
Curragh to Iona Curragh to Iona
Documentary 1963 24 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
Join a fearless crew on a spiritual maritime adventure from the shores of Derry to Iona.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
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.