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
Pond Life
There's a whole world in a drop of water - take a closer look through a microscope.
From the collection of:
Overview
In the pond, many things are stirring - freshwater earthworms, and tiny aquatic creatures known as infusoria and daphnia. This remarkable amateur scientific documentary investigates microbes in a drop of pond water as seen through a microscope. The film was made by using a binocular eyepiece developed specifically for the purpose, and won many awards, including a Bronze Plaque at Budapest in 1934.
Filmmaker George Higginson was a highly skilled amateur whose work includes travelogues and the recording of activities at Manchester School of Art, where he was a mature student. He also produced award winning scientific documentaries, including 'Pond Life'. Originally trained as a cotton engineer, he served in the army in World War One, and, after art school training, went on to teach drawing and painting at Bolton School for Boys.
Related
Watch for free
Wisdom of the Wild Wisdom of the Wild
Documentary 1940 12 mins
Fun mixture of natural history and wartime public information.
Watch for free
Dog Years Dog Years
Comedy 2004 4 mins
Sweet and funny short about a potty-mouthed dog who loves his owner
Watch for free
Beetle Racing Beetle Racing
News 1959 3 mins
Six legged competitors take to the starting blocks as a Midlands pub brings the sport of beetle racing to the world.
Watch for free
Alligator on Lizard Alligator on Lizard
Current affairs 1971 5 mins Location: St Keverne
Daisy the pet alligator living on the Lizard in Cornwall
Rent for £1.00
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
Watch for free
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.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
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.