Documentary
British
1945 · Directed by Humphrey Jennings · 39 min
In the last winter of the Second World War, a baby is born in Britain, and a quiet voice addresses him as the country goes about its work. Part documentary, part letter to the future, the film asks what kind of world he will inherit.
Why it matters in cinema history
A defining film of the British documentary tradition, made at the point where wartime public information became something closer to poetry, and a model for personal, essayistic nonfiction.
Watch with intention
Watch it as a poem assembled from images and sounds, where the connections between shots carry as much meaning as the spoken commentary.
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