Set up in 1977, the North West Film Archive preserves moving images made in or about Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria and offers a variety of access services to users in the public, academic and commercial sectors.
This film is part of Free
The Burial of Jackdaw
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes - children from a Cumbrian family organise a dignified end for a small creature.
From the collection of:
Overview
Inspired by a family funeral, three children in Cockermouth, Cumbria, give the recently deceased 'Jackdaw' a dignified send-off. Heather Harris, the youngest child, officiates as a priest. Sadly, no-one can now remember whether the deceased was a family pet or just a wild bird found in the garden, but this film remains as a fleeting, yet touching, picture of a moment in childhood.
Related
Wisdom of the Wild Wisdom of the Wild
Documentary 1940 12 mins
Fun mixture of natural history and wartime public information.
Dog Years Dog Years
Comedy 2004 4 mins
Sweet and funny short about a potty-mouthed dog who loves his owner
Beetle Racing Beetle Racing
Non-Fiction 1959 3 mins
Six legged competitors take to the starting blocks as a Midlands pub brings the sport of beetle racing to the world.
Alligator on Lizard Alligator on Lizard
Current affairs 1971 5 mins Location: St Keverne
Daisy the pet alligator living on the Lizard in Cornwall
Anoop and the Elephant Anoop and the Elephant
Children's 1972 52 mins Director: David Eady
Fun-packed comedy for kids, in which a boy befriends a baby elephant – then teams up with his friends to stop it being sold
Open Your Eyes Open Your Eyes
Amateur film 1967 14 mins Location: Thompson Common
Should you look hard enough, you’ll be amazed at the antics that creatures get up to, says Dorothy Maxey, amateur filmmaker and naturalist.
May-Day May-Day
Amateur film 1899 1 mins Silent Location: Cockermouth
A May Day parade down Cockermouth’s Main Street, filmed by a local draper
Children's Procession Children's Procession
Non-Fiction 1897 1 mins Location: Cockermouth
Lots of local colour as the town and its tots turn out to put on a show in the spring
Fire Turn Out Fire Turn Out
Amateur film 1899 1 mins Silent Location: Cockermouth
A Cumbrian fire brigade demonstrates its readiness
Sheep Washing Sheep Washing
Amateur film 1899 1 mins Silent Location: Cockermouth
Fancy a dip? Sheep get thrown in at the deep end in this glimpse of late Victorian farming
Train Station Train Station
Non-Fiction 1899 1 mins Silent Location: Cockermouth
Driver and Station Master exchange a staff as this LNWR 'local' stops for passengers
Wordsworth and the Lakes Wordsworth and the Lakes
1939 12 mins Location: Grasmere
Travelogue of places in the Lake District associated with William Wordsworth
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.