If.... screening at the Branchage Film Festival

Contact strip from If...., LA/1/6/4/1

On Friday 2 October there was a screening of If.... as part of the Branchage Film Festival on the island of Jersey. Now I have to admit I hadn't heard of the festival before but looking at the line-up I'm surprised I haven't as it sounds like it would have been great - a really diverse selection of films, special events and music - definitely one to mark in the calendar! The screening of If....was in a college with added atmosphere created by a very stern headmaster ordering everyone to their seats.

There is a short interview with David Wood, who played Johnny in If.... and Paul Cotgrove, from the Lindsay Anderson Memorial Foundation, which is on the Branchage film festival blog. In the interview David Wood (now an OBE and highly respected children's dramatist) discusses filming If.... He brings out the tie he wore in the film, which he has kept since shooting finished, 41 years ago! What really grabbed mt attention though is that he is holding in his hand a copy of the dummy script of the film which I have heard about but have never seen. The dummy script was the one which was used to placate the headmaster and authorities of Cheltenham College, as they doubted they would have been allowed to film there had the headmaster known the conclusion of the film!

Contact strip from If...., LA/1/6/4/1