Metadata
WORK ID: YFA 5453 (Master Record)
| Title | Year | Date |
| SIDI FAMILY CHRISTMAS | 1974 | 1974-01-01 |
|
Details
Original Format: 16mm Colour: Colour Sound: Sound Duration: 6 mins 47 secs Credits: Alan Sidi Subject: Family Life |
| Summary This is a film made by Leeds amateur filmmaker Alan Sidi, showing a typical family Christmas in the Sidi household. This one shows the family at their home in Leeds, Val D’or. |
|
Description
This is a film made by Leeds amateur filmmaker Alan Sidi, showing a typical family Christmas in the Sidi household. This one shows the family at their home in Leeds, Val D’or.
The film begins with Alan Sidi speaking to the camera, inviting us to a typical Christmas party at Val D’or. He comments that his children, Fiona and Paul, are nearly grown up.
At the entrance hall to the house, a Christmas tree is in the centre with balloons and other decorations. In the dining room the table is...
This is a film made by Leeds amateur filmmaker Alan Sidi, showing a typical family Christmas in the Sidi household. This one shows the family at their home in Leeds, Val D’or.
The film begins with Alan Sidi speaking to the camera, inviting us to a typical Christmas party at Val D’or. He comments that his children, Fiona and Paul, are nearly grown up.
At the entrance hall to the house, a Christmas tree is in the centre with balloons and other decorations. In the dining room the table is set for Christmas dinner, with place names. The family sits down to dinner where they eat their starters. Then Alan Sidi cuts the turkey, and the main course is served.
After dinner they unwrap their presents in the living room. One guest, possibly Alan’s brother, shows off his present of a do-it-yourself mushroom kit. Fiona tries her perfume standing in front of the home bar. Then Alan Sidi speaks to the camera again, having a liqueur and sherry, and states that all enjoyed their Christmas lunch and wishes all a Happy New Year.
Context
Not surprisingly, this is not your usual amateur movie of a family at home at Christmas from Leeds’ most inventive amateur filmmaker, Alan Sidi. Here Alan both introduces and postscripts his film in his characteristic relaxed manner, with a liqueur and sherry in hand. This is a family that has got Christmas off pat, with all the usual trappings, making it a highly civilised affair.
Alan Sidi was the inspirational force behind many of the films of Leeds Mercury Movie Makers, and also made...
Not surprisingly, this is not your usual amateur movie of a family at home at Christmas from Leeds’ most inventive amateur filmmaker, Alan Sidi. Here Alan both introduces and postscripts his film in his characteristic relaxed manner, with a liqueur and sherry in hand. This is a family that has got Christmas off pat, with all the usual trappings, making it a highly civilised affair.
Alan Sidi was the inspirational force behind many of the films of Leeds Mercury Movie Makers, and also made well over a hundred films of his own. Always looking to come up with new ideas, he also invented a cine-sync machine to synchronise audio with 16 mm film, and devised his own “Sidi-scope” film format. Alan had been filming his family at Christmas, off and on, since 1950. One room of his idiosyncratic house, Val D’or – soon to be purchased by the Wales and Leeds United footballer Terry Yorath – was entirely devoted to film editing. Renowned for his pranks, here Alan shows himself to be an exemplary family man. |
