N. OR N.W.

by Len LYE
1937 / b&w / sound / 1S / 7' 00

When Lye was commissioned by the GPO Film Unit to make a live-action film about the need to be careful in addressing letters, he decided to make it an experiment in subverting the orthodox language of film editing. His approach turned a simple story about a lovers’ quarrel into a montage of bizarre camera angles and point-of-view shots, accompanied by lively jazz music. Lye’s favourite sequence (showing the young woman getting dressed and going for a walk) was so extreme that the GPO Film Unit removed it and sadly it has since been lost (though Lye documented it in the Summer 1939 issue of Sight and Sound).

1 PRINT IN DISTRIBUTION


distribution format 16mm
screen 1,37 - Standard (single screen)
speed 24 fps
sound optical sound
rental fee 33,00 €