This film is part of Free

Title of error

See Help

Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath

Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath, filmed in remarkable colour by ‘envoy of the Raj’ Clarmont Skrine

Amateur film 1946 7 mins Silent

Overview

This Kathakali dance performance by the palace troupe at Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) features the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath (1908-87). It was filmed by Clarmont Skrine - known in India as ‘Skrino’ – who had a long career as an ‘envoy of the Raj’. During his time as a Resident in South India a friend wrote: “He was so unlike the stereotyped ICS [Indian Civil Service] dignitaries (the Heaven-born), he was so human and approachable.” The BFI National Archive holds 25 amateur films made by Skrine between 1934 and 1961.

Genres

Amateur film

Country

United Kingdom

Language

No Dialogue with English subtitles

Subjects

Watch for free

Climbing Mount Everest Climbing Mount Everest

Non-Fiction 1933 32 mins Silent

A fascinating glimpse into life at high altitude for the party of the Mount Everest Expedition 1933 which intended, but ultimately failed to summit Everest.

Watch for free

East Nepal East Nepal

1961 72 mins Silent

Film taken by Tom Spring Smyth during the British Museum (Natural History) Expedition to East Nepal 1961-1962.

Watch for free

Amazon; Dr Hamilton Rice Amazon; Dr Hamilton Rice

1926 91 mins Silent

Take a journey with Dr Hamilton Rice as he embarks on his final expedition of the easterly tributaries of the Amazonian basin.

Watch for free

The Conquest of Everest The Conquest of Everest

Documentary 1953 78 mins

Colour film (narrated by Meredith Edwards) telling the story of the ‘Mount Everest Expedition 1953’, which saw the first successful ascent of the mountain.