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The Boat Builders

A boat is a work of art, as this film illustrates so beautifully.

Documentary 1963 16 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales

Overview

Bach played on the cello – a beautifully shaped wooden vessel for producing sound – accompanies footage of the building of a boat, a beautifully shaped wooden vessel for floating on water. After the planing, pattern cutting, steaming, caulking, riveting, painting and varnishing – and additional, atmospheric music from Lasry-Bachet Sound Structures, and Michael Jones’ bassoon – β€˜Mizpah’ takes to the water like a swan, a proud day for Cardiff Boat Building and Slipway Co.

This is a film that was commissioned in 1963 by John Grierson, for whom Harley Jones, the director, worked as film editor from 1963-66 on the weekly Scottish Television programme β€˜This Wonderful World’ (broadcast also on the ITV regions e.g. Television Wales and West). Grierson had purchased a boat - 'The Able Seaman' – from the company for fishing trips in Kinsale, Ireland. It was screened on β€˜John Grierson Presents’ in 1966. Harley became first head of Newport Film Unit, later Newport Film School, in 1966 and remained in post until 1982.

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