13 Cantos from Dante's Inferno (1955)

jenks

thread death
I stumbled across this amazing short animated film from 1955 on the BFI website (educational facilities have a licence to watch clips).

Essentially it is all done with silhouettes and depicts 13 Cantos from Dante's Inferno. I was showing it to some sixth formers(we're studying Blake and wanted to know about soem of his sources) and the jaded patina lifted from them as they watched - they pointed out the Tim Burton like qualities but also drew attention to the loving detail and genuine sense of delicacy and beauty of the animation process.

It was made for the BFI by something called its 'Experimental' Department and has a very striking, expressionist approach.


They asked me to find out more about the film, and the process by which it was made. I said i didn't know anything else but would know somewhere i might ask...

Anyone know anymore about it?
 
BFI Dante info

Here's some info from my contact who works in the BFI Library. These are the articles about the film in magazines that the BFI Library holds. She says it may also be mentioned in books they hold there.

Periodicals (4)

Note on special showing at Hammer theater.
Today's Cinema v86.n7528 (24 May 1956) pages 9. Article in English

Book library.
Today's Cinema v86.n7528 (24 May 1956) pages Catalogue 124. Article in English

Today's Cinema v86.n7517 (8 May 1956) pages 5. Article in English

The Bioscope n153 (16 Sep 1909) pages Winter II6. Article in English
 
correction to above info

sorry the last one in my list (Bioscope one) is not about the film, it's totally unrelated. If you're going to the library you should give them this reference instead

4 BFI PRODUCTION.000051-000076
Catalogue 124

which refers to another article about the film apparently.

I'm sorry, I never bothered to check if you were anywhere near London W1 before now! Well that's the info if you're coming to London any time soon.
 

jenks

thread death
Cheers spanielz, that's very kind of you.

Shame no-one here seems to have seen the film itself - got a feeling many here would like it - great industrial sounding soundtrack and expressionistic/modernistic animation
 
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