Among the Hardwoods

An earlier silent version of this film was made in 1927 as part of the ‘Know Your Own Country’ series by renowned pioneer cinematographer Lacey Percival. In mid-1936 Bert Ive and a sound recordist revisited the Pemberton region of south-west Western Australia where they filmed and also recorded natural sounds from the forest. Whilst this re-edited film was half the length of the original, Ive’s director Lyn Maplestone created greater impact by lingering on the sights and sounds of logging trees in the Jarrah and Karri forests. The film focuses on the atmosphere of the forest as it was irrevocably changed by the axe and saw of the loggers. Scenes shot for the silent version (but not always used) can also be seen being processed and screened in ‘Telling the World’ (1929). Source: NFSA Film Australia Collection.