MAN OF ARAN

Robert J. Flaherty   •    UK •    1934   •    76mins
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Director/Screenplay: Robert J. Flaherty
Producers: Michael Balcon
Production co: Gainsborough Pictures
Photography: Robert J. Flaherty
Editor: John Monck (as John Goldman)
Music: John Greenwood
With: Colman 'Tiger' King (A Man of Aran), Maggie Dirrane (His Wife), Michael Dirrane (Their Son)
REVIEW

"Man of Aran was produced for Gaumont British by Robert Flaherty and depicted life among the shark fisherman of the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland.

Using actual material to dramatise a theme, the producer brought out the true artistry of his profession in a very strong characterization of those primitive people who eke out a living among the dangers of the rocky coast lines and turbulent seas of the North Atlantic.

The superb photography alone was sufficient to warrant the description of “Man of Aran” as a classic."
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- The Nelson Mail, 1947
Original film footage from Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran, set to contemporary music.

Preceded by
PORT NELSON 1949

W.H. Parr   •    NZ   •    1949   •    36mins

​The short film was made by Mr W (Bill) H Parr - the founder of the Nelson Film Society and an executive of the Nelson Harbour Board. He describes the motivation behind the project in a book published by the Nelson Harbour Board in 1979:

"There was to be a poll of rate-payers to gain agreement to approve funds to widen and deepen ‘The Cut’ at the entrance to the Harbour. It would be necessary to gain the support of the district’s rate-payers."

Bill Parr proposed making a film to “make the meetings attractive”.  A friend, Mr Ron Branford had a cine camera and was approached to shoot the film. A Mr Dixon was persuaded to lend his film projector.

“He came up with a bright idea. By placing an amplifier alongside his screen and with me alongside him with a microphone to give the commentary, I could see the film and speak appropriately. At the same time he had a record turntable… playing incidental music, and by turning a dial the volume... would be lowered and raised, thus giving the impression of a true sound-tracked movie.”

Bill took this programme to 13 halls around the district and the ratepayers duly voted 13 to 1 in favour of the project! This amateur film is remarkably polished.

​This is the review written for the Nelson Arts Festival in 2014 when his film was screened once again:
 
"The early programmes of the Nelson Film Society included many quality English documentaries which must have inspired Bill Parr and most notably the documentary Man of Aran made by Robert Flaherty in 1934 which he chose to screen on the opening night of the Nelson Film Society in 1947."
FILM SOCIETY SCREENING

Nelson Film Society
Thursday 13 April, 6.00pm