Telling the World

Directed by Lyn Maplestone

As the title suggests, ‘Telling The World’ was made for an overseas audience as was much of the Government film unit’s output. It covers the roles and functions of the Cinema and Photographic Branch and shows Bert Ive filming some of the iconic images he would capture of important Australian events and places. The opening sequence shows a meeting between the Cinema Branch’s Officer-in-Charge Lyn Maplestone and Bert Ive, who appear periodically throughout the film. Ive continued to work for the branch until his death in 1939. The film has been sepia toned, a specialised chemical treatment enhancing black and white film with a warmer tone. Some scenes in the processing laboratory are tinted red. An excellent example of the period’s documentary and innovative filmmaking techniques.