This film is part of Free
Mauritius 1941
The film shows Port Louis, the capital; workers on sugar plantations and road mending as well as colonial life in the then British dependency.
Overview
Mauritius was a British possession until independence in 1992. Before the construction of the Suez Canal it held an important and strategic position for Indian Ocean trade and naval power. At the time of filming, it was the most intensely cultivated sugar area in the world. The film illustrates the lives of plantation workers and road menders compared with the leisure pursuits of the colonialists.
Edited and photographed by Joseph Albrecht for the company ‘The African Film Productions Ltd’, based at South Africa’s first film company, the Killarney Studios of Johannesburg and founded in 1915. Albrecht also made a weekly newsreel for the company called ‘Africa’s Mirror’. Sections on cropping sugar cane show the manual labour involved in the process, whilst the wealthy residents of the ‘Curepipe’ district are filmed at their homes playing tennis. Horse racing features at the Champs de Mars racecourse – introduced by the British to the island in 1810 – and guests at a reception at the Governor’s Residence, Le Réduit.
Related
Victory Parade Victory Parade
Documentary 1946 21 mins
Soldiers from the far reaches of the British Empire arrive in London to take part in the official commemoration of the end of war in Europe.
Commonwealth Foundation Commonwealth Foundation
Documentary 1969 12 mins Location: Brixton
Beach, church and carnival – Chief Inspector of Brixton Police sent to Trinidad to learn about West Indian customs.
Child Child
Documentary 1947 18 mins Silent
Advice for village families on raising children to become strong, healthy citizens
Carnival Fantastique Carnival Fantastique
Documentary 1960 18 mins
Vibrant documentary that captures Trinidad's famous street carnival in 1960.
Messages from Bhupen Khakhar Messages from Bhupen Khakhar
Documentary 1983 37 mins
"Good taste can be very killing": personal reflections from the self-trained Indian painter.
Tanzania Tanzania
1969 16 mins Silent
A colour film of African wildlife by the ‘Ker, Downey and Selby Safari Company’, set up by Donald Ker, Sydney Downey and Harry Selby.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Trixie Parkin-Christie of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.