Commissioned by the Army Kinema Corporation in 1959 as a military training film and previously only shown to a highly restricted audience of military officials, Captured is a realistic and sometimes disturbing prisoner of war drama. It demonstrates how British POWs responded to brainwashing and torture techniques during the Korean War, thereby revealing what a soldier could expect if he was ever captured by the communist enemy.
Written and directed by the acclaimed documentary auteur John Krish (The Elephant Will Never Forget, I Think They Call Him John), with all of his trademark lyricism and humanity, Captured is a haunting lost classic of post-war British cinema. It is presented here with a number of other Krish films all designed to warn, advise and inform. They are all transferred to High Definition from the very best available film materials.
H.M.P. (1976), one of the additional films here, is a riveting look at what it takes to be a prison officer. The Home Office approached the COl for a film that would encourage applicants while also improving wider appreciation of what the prison senrice offered. The film follows three recruits as they go inside a prison to learn more about the realities of the job, through meeting various members of staff, including the chaplain.
Also included on this release is a new interview with John Krish, in which he talks indepth about his life and work. John was honoured with an Evening Standard Award for Best Documentary in 2010 for his widely acclaimed quartet of films, A Day in the Life: Four Portraits of Post-war Britain, which is released by the BFI in a Dual Format Edition.
Captured will be released on UK dual format (Blu-ray and DVD) by the BFI as part of their Flipside strand on 15th April 2013 at the RRP of £19.99.
Special features are:
Sewing Machine (John Krish, 1973, 1 min): hard-hitting road safety 'filler' from the COl
Searching (John Krish, 1974, 1min): shocking fire safety 'filler' from the COI
H.M.P. (John Krish, 1976, 52 mins): compelling fly-on-the-wall style recruitment film for the prison service
The Finishing Line (John Krish, 1977, 21mins): violent public safety film intended to discourage children from trespassing on railway lines
Shooting the Message: The films of John Krish (2013, 35 mins): an extensive interview with the director about his life and work
Illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays and contributions from James Piers Taylor, Patrick Russell, Stephen Thrower and Alex Davidson, and full credits
