North London Liberal Jewish Group

Finchley
1956
Sound
16m

Rival groups from Ealing and Finchley go head to head in an entertaining and witty amateur film

The annual battle of the Finchley and Ealing teams of the North London Jewish Group is splendidly captured in this appealing compilation of two home movies from Jewish optometrist Sidney Douglas, whose son donated nearly 100 of his films to the BFI National Archive.

This is an ambitious piece of filmmaking for a home movies, with an amusing commentary, a great soundtrack and, best of all, spoof publicity for local businesses, featuring heavy use of Yiddish ('schmutters', for those not in the know, means 'clothes'). The daft humour is infectious, while the children enter into the competition with impressive enthusiam. There's some nailbiting track and field events including a sack race and a three-legged dash.

Jewish Britain

Jewish life on screen: a century of insights and hidden histories

This collection uncovers insights, injustices and hidden histories across a century of Jewish life on British screens. It brings together documentary and first-person accounts of Jewish life in the UK, alongside historical dramas and artists’ work exploring the 20th century Jewish experience. The earliest surviving depictions of Jewish characters in British cinema offer a troubling insight into antisemitic representation, yet prejudice was later tackled head-on, with newsreels documenting the anti-fascist movement of the 1930s.

Drop in on joyous family weddings and community gatherings, and see the ways in which UK Jewry supported Jews young and old, and those fleeing persecution, in a selection of fascinating films from the 1900s to the 1980s.

This collection is generously supported by the Neil Kreitman Foundation, Shoresh Charitable Trust, John S Cohen Foundation, and Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation.