Information
- BFI identifier13659
- Date1925 (Copyright)
- Production countryUSA
- Production company
- SynopsisDOCUMENTARY. A cinematic record of the semi-annual trek of Baktyari tribes across the rivers and mountains of Persia in search of grazing fields for their cattle. Rl.1 LSs of a caravan on the evening horizon (59-84) and crossing a bridge (108-132); CU of Merian C. Cooper (171-180); talking to Earnest Schoedsack (188); Schoedsack in CU (206); Mrs. Harrison (215- 225); map of Asia Minor, tracing the route of the three travellers (237-259); street scenes in a Turkish town, including shots of a dancing bear (272-344); crossing the Salt Desert of Anatolia, where a night is spent at a travellers' refuge (369-459); after breakfast, the caravan departs (472-681); weeks later, they head off into the Taurus mountains on foot (693-768); they push on through the snow, with Mrs. Harrison riding a donkey (773-788); the mountains are left behind (800-820); into the Arabian desert (833-852); CU of a desert policeman (865-914). (917ft). Rl.2 A day is spent with the desert police and a demonstration of the turning out of the guard is given (922-1015); map of route to "The Forgotten People" (the Baktyari tribes) (1033-1039); Baktyari women spinning and children with goat herds (1137); Haidar Khan, chief of the tribes (1143-1162) and Lufta, his nine year old son (1170-1189); together (1203); cattle grazing on impoverished pasture land (1217-1232); the headsmen confer and decide to leave for new pastures (1264-1310); the women dance in celebration (1317-1327) and the men do a dance with sticks (1336-1371); the encampment is dismantled and packed and loaded onto mules and donkeys (1387-1494); 50,000 tribesmen and their herds move off (1504-1636) and trek over hills and valleys (1693); the banks of the rushing River Karum are reached (1726-1764) and preparations are made for crossing by inflating goat-skin bladders and making rafts (1793-1825ft). Rl.3 The rafts are put into the water, loaded with equipment, women and children, and the smaller animals, and paddled from the shore into the current, and across; a similar cross-current takes the raft back again for the next load (1826-2129); the cattle are driven into the water, and guided by men on the inflated goat-skins, they follow the current (2361) until the other side is gained (2367-2488). A week later, unmapped mountains are reached (2504-2540); the trek across is commenced (2549-2577) and they struggle on (2597-2646) until the foot of a precipice is reached (2679-2714) and the almost impossible climb up the cliff-face begins (2724-2786ft). Rl.4 Into the snow-covered country (2805-2835) across another torrent (2838- 2903) until the formidable Zardeh Kuh Pass is reached (2919-2943); led by Haida, volunteers remove their footgear and working with bare legs and feet buried in snow, they dig a trail through (2954-2993); the tribe follows, bare- footed (2999-3201); at 10,000 ft. (3353-3380); the last stages (3265-3339); at the summit (3353-3380) and down the other side (3392-3529); the snow is left behind (3532-3561) and they come at last to a fertile land (3586-3590). Haida and Lufta in their tent (3599-3613); shots of grazing cattle (3620); CU of the smiling Lufta (3636). The film closes with shots of a letter and its translation, witnessed by the American Vice-Consul, Robert W. Imbrie, and dated 20th June, 1924, stating that M.C. Cooper, E.B. Schoedsack and M.E. Harrison, are the first foreigners to have made the 46-day migration with the Baktyari tribe (3656-3689). The End (3691ft). (Shotlist)
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsRecorded for the Screen by: Merian C. Cooper
Recorded for the Screen by: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Recorded for the Screen by: Marguerite Harrison
view all - Cast
Title
Grass A Nation's Battle for Life (Original)
Grass (Alternative)
Grass: A Nation's Battle for Survival (Alternative)
Category
Non Fiction- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
view all - StillsPhotograph: film still - Landscape - SPD-1011918
Photograph: film still - Landscape - SPD-1011919
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00n-3xt
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00n-3xs
Photograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00m-lz4
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- Books
- +Grass A Nation's Battle for Life
Work - 13659 - 1925 (Copyright)
USA - Film - Non Fiction
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