New history film show

The University of Teesside and the Northern Region Film and Television Archive (NRFTA) is hosting a special new film show detailing different parts of Middlesbrough’s history.

Wednesday 9 June, 2pm and 7pm - Men of Steel

Men of Steel is a 1932 fictional film shot in Middlesbrough. The film tells the story of an out-of-work steelworker who develops a new, cheaper form of steel. He then endures a series of unscrupulous attempts by the local steel manufacturer to acquire the new formula. This feature will be accompanied by industrial footage, including the newly restored From Raw Material to Finished Product, a non-fiction film about steelmaking in the 1930s, and material from the recently digitised ICI Billingham film library.

The 2pm showing is free of charge. There is an entrance fee of £1 for the 7pm showing.

The film will be shown at the University's Constantine Cinema (formerly called the main lecture theatre) in the Constantine Building, which is adjoined to the Middlesbrough Tower.

Patricia Zakreski, film access and education officer at the University, said: “The new film show follows on from the success of several film screenings about local history. People are always interested in their town’s past and I’m sure that this film will also be very popular.”

For more information about the film show, call 01642 384022.

The film show, which is being organised by the University of Teesside, draws on films from the NRFTA, which stores thousands of hours of TV footage filmed all over the north. It includes an extensive collection of BBC and Tyne Tees newsreels, home movies from amateur film-makers and corporate videos and training films from some of the big companies in and around the area. The archive, which is housed at the University of Teesside, is an invaluable resource for local historians, filmmakers, and members of the public.

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