h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Two documentaries to report on since the last entry:

Eleanore and the Timekeeper:
American film, made by the granddaughter of the Eleanore in the title. E is 85 when the film begins, and has a learning-disabled son of 62. She needs a knee replacement (despite being pretty sprightly and still driving herself around), and is worried about how he will manage while she recuperates from the operation.

We follow the two of them for several years, while he settles into a "group home" (sort of sheltered housing), she has her op, and celebrates her 90th birthday.

Very slow at first, but got more interesting when we saw him interacting with the other people living in his new accommodation.

Henry Morris:
A very interesting film about someone I didn't know anything about. HM was Chief Education Officer in Cambridge in the 1920s and invented the concept of the Village College - comprehensive education before its time. The first VC, Sawston, was founded in 1930, and the pupils made the film to celebrate the school's 80th anniversary. They couldn't find anyone who had actually known Morris (d 1961), but several of his successors in the job were interviewed, as were the current and previous headteachers, and a historian who knew a lot about his work.

Not just talking heads, it was interspersed with a little drama depicting a young student teacher in 1961, who is writing her dissertation about HM. The part was played by a 16 year-old from Sawston VC and she did it very well - much better than most of the adult actors. Her proud mum was sitting next to me in the audience, as were several of the other families whose children had been involved in making the film. A very professional end product.

The film was preceded by a BFI archive film about the development of Harlow New Town in the early 60s, equally fascinating, partly because of the clothes etc, but also for the (now) hilarious script!

You can find a treasure-trove of 60s urban housing development &c in the Carry On films and in things like On the Buses and - a personal favourite - Norman Wisdom's Press for Time, as in http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=uPF3XeMTR0k

Druggy