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The Universal Clock - The Resistance of Peter Watkins

2001 1 h 16 min
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This feature documentary is a portrait of Peter Watkins, an Oscar®-winning British filmmaker who, for the past 4 decades, has proved that films can be made without compromise. With the proliferation of TV channels, documentaries are enjoying an unprecedented boom fuelled by audiences seeking an alternative to infotainment. But now documentary filmmaking, too, finds itself constrained by the imperatives of television. However, there is a rebel resisting this uniformity of the spirit. Pre-eminent among today's documentary filmmakers concerned about this mind-numbing standardization, Peter Watkins has never strayed from either his principles or the cause.

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The Universal Clock - The Resistance of Peter Watkins

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This feature documentary is a portrait of Peter Watkins, an Oscar®-winning British filmmaker who, for the past 4 decades, has proved that films can be made without compromise. With the proliferation of TV channels, documentaries are enjoying an unprecedented boom fuelled by audiences seeking an alternative to infotainment. But now documentary filmmaking, too, finds itself constrained by the imperatives of television. However, there is a rebel resisting this uniformity of the spirit. Pre-eminent among today's documentary filmmakers concerned about this mind-numbing standardization, Peter Watkins has never strayed from either his principles or the cause.

  • participation
    Peter Watkins
    Sara Louis
    Anna Pano
    Marie-Josèphe Barrère
    Kamel Ikachamene
    Renaud Bazin
  • direction
    Geoff Bowie
  • research
    Geoff Bowie
  • script
    Geoff Bowie
  • picture editing
    Petra Valier
  • picture editing - assistance
    Sue Howard
  • script consultant
    Laurent Gagliardi
  • production manager
    Laurent Gagliardi
  • director of photography
    Georges Dufaux
    Gilles Papajak
    Louis Durocher
  • additional cinematography
    Neville Ottey
  • additional cinematography - assistance
    Ralph MacDonald
  • sound recording
    Diane Carrière
    André Boisvert
  • production assistant
    Sophie Bensadoun
    Stéphane Lewin
  • sound editing
    Tony Reed
  • narration - writer
    Gérard Grugeau
    Geoff Bowie
  • narrator
    R.H. Thomson
  • original score
    Philippe Lapointe
  • voice recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
    Jean Paul Vialard
  • online editing
    Denis Pilon
  • titles
    NFB Postproduction Image Service
  • subtitles
    Kathleen Fleming
  • administration
    Colette Brodeur
  • administration assistant
    Joanne Bélisle
    Dany Delpy
    Sylvie Paradis
    André Tremblay
    Josée Trudel
  • technical coordination
    Richard Cliche
    Marysol Moran
  • assistant to the producer
    Françoise Dutan
    Christiane Germain
  • line production
    Christian Medawar
  • producer
    Yves Bisaillon

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Education

Ages 16 to 17
School subjects
Discuss the concept of "the universal clock" as it pertains to television filmmaking. Suggest reasons why the universal clock has become the industry standard for television programming. Comment on the benefits and drawbacks of the universal clock. Elaborate on Peter Watkins' philosophy regarding the constraints imposed on the television filmmaking process. Revisit the scenes from Watkins' film, La Commune. Comment on his production style.
The Universal Clock - The Resistance of Peter Watkins
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