The German Retreat and the Battle of Arras

[IanA]

In an attempt to encourage the IWM to make this and other neglected footage available to the public I set up a poll with which I hoped to demonstrate an obvious demand. I recently contacted Mr Smither at the IWM to say that the results were encouraging and that 73.44% of replies indicated that they would buy a copy while 26.56% of replies indicated that they would consider it. Unfortunately, as befits a member of the IWM 'University Challenge' team, (did you see it?! They won!) he asked for actual voting figures with which he hoped to impress future distributors. I had to say that this represented 64 people out of more than 10,000 which doesn't sound quite so impressive. Everyone knows that polls attract very low responses but I had hoped for better. Ah well, we tried!

I would like to thank those people who responded to my pleas and aplogise to those who were offended by my tongue-in-cheek promptings and, maybe, blow a loud raspberry at those who couldn't be bothered to respond at all.

Cheers,

Ian

[gporta]

Ian,

Is there any direct e-mail to where we could address I request? could be that a fair number of direct e-mails could make them consider the question again.

Maybe if they put this poll in their (IWM) website they would get a higher response. I'm quite sure that if such a DVD would be available at their museum shop there would be a reasonable number of people interested in purchasing it: I know they sell there DVDs from BBC -and other- documentaries... So why not a "Special souvenir" DVD with their own stuff?

Gloria

[IanA]

Hi Gloria,

I would imagine that you would contact them at film@iwm.org.uk but if only 64 pals can be bothered to respond to a straightforward electronic survey I can't believe that a tenth of that number would be prepared to contact the IWM directly. The IWM is not putting obstacles in the way or dragging its feet but is forced to bend to financial realities and I don't think that jumping up and down and shouting will move them much. At the top of their list of things to do just now is to transfer the Somme/ Ancre films to DVD format but there are even objections to this. When one has a passion for something it is awfully easy to imagine that everyone else will be fired by the same passion and this frequently leads to disappointment. Given the specialised nature of this forum, I confess that I had hoped for a much bigger resonse but you live and learn!

Cheers,

Ian

[jhill]

I am not too familiar with the archival films. Might these "Arras" films be the ones which are available, after a fashion, on the website of the National Film Board of Canada ? You have to go in and find the snippets labelled "Battle of Arras" numbers 1 through 4. They total thirty odd minutes. They must have originated with the British government.

I am afraid I find this a dreadful site. They use "Flash" graphics, which I find evil. I have never been able to investigate these films with the diligeance they deserve. Hopefully, the site will improve eventually. I see no reason why these and other films cannot be available in this form.

Just a thought.

[IanA]

Hi jhill,

Sounds like you have half of it in a not too convenient format - I think the whole film lasts for an hour or so.

Ian

[simond9x]

If anyone wants to message me off-list? Just saying.......