Still traumatised by the Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water and fuzzy, unsettling memories of being asked to “Think Bike?” The Public Information Films of – especially – the 1970s form a vital part of the Haunted Generation aesthetic, so I’m delighted to have been asked by the British Film Institute to introduce an evening of screenings dedicated to their legacy.
The event is called Haunted Generations: The Lingering Legacy of the Public Information Film, and it takes place on at BFI Southbank on Friday 2nd December, from 6pm. It’s part of the BFI’s celebration of director Peter Greenaway, so we’ll be looking in particular at some of his work for the Central Office of Information, as well as films by contemporary directors who have cited the unsettling nature of vintage PIFs as an important influence.
Tickets are available here:
Haunted Generations: The Lingering Legacy of the Public Information Film
I’m hugely honoured to have been invited to speak, and owe huge thanks to the BFI’s esteemed curator, William Fowler. I’ll be taking a little about my own relationship with Public Information Films, and included among the screenings are shorts by Sean Reynard, whose 2019 interview here is still one of the most-viewed articles on this website.
The unwary, show-offs and fools are all especially welcome. Sensible children? I have no power over them…
The Haunted Generation 