Abstract
THE London Scientific Film Society gave four shows last winter of scientific and documentary films and received encouraging support. A new form of programme was generally appreciated. Several films with a common subject or theme were shown together; programmes on contrasting or complementary treatments of psychology, civics in Great Britain, and agriculture being presented. All films shown by the Society are approved by the Scientific Films Committee of the Association of Scientific Workers, 30 Bedford Row, London, W.C.I. This body was set up in 1937 to further the interests of the scientific documentary film, to encourage the making and to sponsor the exhibition of such films. The films are broadly of three kinds: interpretative films, which bring out the relations of science to society and which try to smooth out the difficulties arising from developments and changes in science and social life; educational films, aiming simply to instruct; and research films, serving as a scientific instrument in the hands of the research worker. The Scientific Films Committee grades films into classes in this way, and also appraises their scientific value. The Committee's lists can be obtained on application; universities, schools and scientific societies can use them to help in making up programmes of scientific films. The work of appraising films will go on through the summer. In addition, the Committee's advice is available to producers, and recommendations for new films are to be made; certain subjects, such as chemistry, are very inadequately covered. The Committee wants the opinions of teachers and heads of scientific departments on what is needed, and the special requirements of war-time will be borne in mind.
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Scientific Films in War-Time. Nature 145, 927–928 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/145927c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/145927c0