Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 15 October 1953, page 2


Film Finds A Theatre

By OUR

FILM CRITIC

A FEATURE-LENGTH Australian documen- tary film which won a special award in the Com-monwealth Jubilee Film Competition had its first theatrical screening last night — more than two years after it was made.

The film, "Mike and Stefani," was shot in Europe by the Films Division of the Department of the Interior. Its object was to show Australians the problems of war refugees who were to live among us as

New Australians.

But it was cold-shouldered by Australian exhibitors, who found it, among other things, "too long" (it runs for 55 minutes).

It is now showing for three nights at the Village Theatre, Watson's Bay, an independent theatre which specialises in Con-tinental films.

It is unfortunate that it has not had wider screening, for it is in almost every respect the most grown-up and craftsmanlike feature-length film ever made by Australians, as well as being a sincere and sometimes moving treatment of its subject.

It does not set out to be a

masterpiece, but it could cer-tainly be accepted as a respect-able and responsible piece of film-making on any screen any-where—which puts it well ahead of the pretentious immaturity of most Australian feature films.

The director was R. Maslyn

Williams.