Starting with its title, the documentary The British Film Industry: Elitist, Deluded or Dormant?, seems keen to ruffle a few feathers.
Vinod Mahindru and Robin Dutta are making the feature documentary about what they see as the troubled state of the indiginous British film industry. They ask: “Do we have any British Film Industry at all?”
Sure the British film industry, like any other country’s film industry, isn’t perfect and could use improvements, but is it really bad enough to warrant a film like this complete with muckraking title?
They have secured interviews with key experts like Ben Kingsley, Iain Smith, Alan Parker, David Puttnam, Chris Smith, Michael Kuhn and Ken Loach. I wonder how many of them knew they were signing up to a project entitled Elitist, Deluded or Dormant?
My favourite bit in the trailer is when John Woodward just sighs and says: “These are very, very strange questions.”
And, in a cruel twist of fate, the graphics for the film look a lot like the BFI’s logo.
They have turned to crowdfunding to finish the project. So far, £30 has been raised for a goal of £50,000. Kickstarter supporters can get rewards such as a “I Love The British Film Industry Because I’m a Mug” mug.
They are calling it “the documentary Great Britain doesn’t want you to see.” Huh? Is the Queen banning it?
What I want to know is who is the audience who would pay to see this film? Or even watch the whole thing for free? A few disgruntled producers here and there, saddo film journalists such as myself, but certainly I can’t see any member of the general public wanting to spend an hour (or more) hearing film execs past and present bemoan their lot in life.
More info on the Kickstarter page or Quota Films.
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