First Film

Object Details

Collection Collaborator: McElwee, Ross; Blitz, Daniel; Bishop, John Melville; Baker, Peter; Ritchie, Claire; Young, Robert; Terry, John; Galvin, Frank; Bestall, Clifford; Gardner, Robert; Asch, Timothy, 1932-1994
Collection Creator: Marshall, John, 1932-2005
Collection Collaborator: Marshall, Lorna

See more items in: John Marshall Ju/'hoan Bushman film and video collection; John Marshall Ju/'hoan Bushman film and video collection / Series 2: Published Films and Videos

Sponsor: Finding aid has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

Extent: Film reels (sound, color composite print; 1,700 feet (47 minutes), 16mm)

Collection Citation: The John Marshall Ju/'hoan Bushman Film and Video Collection, 1950-2000, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Rights: Contact the repository for terms of use. Information on reproduction and fees available from repository.

Scope and Contents: This film, shot in 1951, was originally known by the title !Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari. It came to be known as FIRST FILM because it was, in fact, the first film edited from the Marshall Ju/'hoan film collection. Though shot by John Marshall, First Film is a lecture film that was edited and directed by Lorna and Laurence Marshall with the assistance of Jerry Ballantine. It provides an overview of many aspects of Ju/'hoan life and culture. Completed in 1952, the film was not formally released for distribution until 1995. This composite print contains the only existing audio for FIRST FILM. For other silent film of this title, see 83.11.77-1,2 in Series 1.

Collection Restrictions: The John Marshall Ju/'hoan Bushman Film and Video Collection is open for research. Please contact the Archives for availabilty of access copies of audio visual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played. Materials relating to Series 6 Production Files are restricted and not available for research until 2048, 2063, 2072. Kinship diagrams in Series 13 are restricted due to privacy concerns. Various copyrights and restrictions on commercial use apply to the reproduction or publication of film, video, audio, photographs, and maps.