A main contribution of Britain to the development of cinematography has been the creation of a distinctive school of film-making - the documentary film. Using non-professional actors “FIRES WERE STARTED” is the first feature film by Humphrey Jennings and is one of the most moving of the war documentaries, recapturing the typical atmosphere of the war on Britain’s civilian front. The film is a tribute to the work of the Auxiliary Fire Service, described through the events of one-day activities. The story unfolds without effort from the early morning assembly of crew at the fire station, through the routine of the day, to the fighting of a blazing warehouse at night.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
003725
Language
English
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Motion pictures - Great Britain - History
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → World War, 1939-1945
Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Fires
Documentary → Documentary films - Great Britain
Feature films → Feature films - Great Britain
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)