The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Restless Sunday
A young man rambles in his winklepickers in rundown Leeds brooding on the ennui of a 1960s Sunday, and on his disillusionment with religion.
From the collection of:
Overview
This is one of several award winning films made by Bill Davison over a five year period; this one winning the IAC best film of 1967. It shows a young man wandering around derelict areas of Leeds, passing billboards with Christian messages, before eventually returning to his Quarry Hill flat. As he does so he reflects, through an inner monologue, on the boredom of Sundays, before it became a day of shopping, and his sense of the hollowness of the way Christianity presents itself.
Bill Davison started making films in his teens with his fatherβs 8mm camera, before receiving his own higher spec Bolex 8mm camera on his 21st birthday. Working all his life in local government finance, Bill made a series of award winning films, starting with Restless Sunday, and including The Terross Happening (1968), The Void (1970), Eclipse (1972), Zenith (1973), In God's Name (1974) and Sanctum (1975). The Movie Maker β for whom Bill wrote a regular column β Ten Best were premiered at the National Film Theatre, and shown around the country. Through these Bill got to meet Ned Sherrin, Joan Bakewell, and even James Stewart. Bill even had a monthly column in Movie Maker, 'Bill Davison's Bootlace Cinema'.
Related
Hunslet Carnival and Gala (1904) Hunslet Carnival and Gala (1904)
Non-Fiction 1904 5 mins Silent Location: Hunslet
A spectacular street procession in the heart of industrial West Yorkshire.
Hunslet v Leeds (1901) Hunslet v Leeds (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 4 mins Silent Location: Hunslet
A less-than-serious Leeds team take a four-goals-and-two-tries battering from Hunslet.
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 Archiveβs 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 Luke Bean 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
Samantha Arnold of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.
Horace OvΓ© on Pressure Horace OvΓ© on Pressure
Inside Film 2005 36 mins
The acclaimed director discusses his landmark film in this interview from 2005.
Baltimore - Exclusive Q&A Baltimore - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 28 mins
Directors Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor dig deep into their thrilling biopic Baltimore, in discussion with Nadia M Oliva.