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Karl Francis (born 1 April 1942) is a
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and
television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...
, producer and screenwriter, associated with left-wing political causes. His work is inspired by the likes of
Chris Marker Chris Marker (; 29 July 1921 – 29 July 2012) was a French writer, photographer, documentary film director, multimedia artist and Essay#Film, film essayist. His best known films are ''La Jetée'' (1962), ''A Grin Without a Cat'' (1977) and ''S ...
and
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (''Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessne ...
and has included output in both the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
s.


Biography

Francis was born in
Bedwas Bedwas is a town situated two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Bedwas neighbours Trethomas, Graig-y-Rhacca and Machen, and forms a council ...
in South Wales. He won a scholarship which allowed him to study at
Manchester University , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
where he gained his BA in 1964. He then attended
Hornsey College of Art Hornsey College of Art (a.k.a. Hornsey School of Art) was a college in Crouch End in the London Borough of Haringey, England. The HCA was "an iconic British art institution, renowned for its experimental and progressive approach to art and design ...
to study for a post-graduate diploma on Film in Education. He began his media career in television in 1971, first as an independent investigator, before taking a production post with
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, working on ''
Weekend World ''Weekend World'' is a British television political series, made by London Weekend Television (LWT) and broadcast from 1972 to 1988. Created by John Birt, not long after he had joined LWT, the series was broadcast on the ITV network at midday ...
'' for
London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 unt ...
. In 1973 he switched to the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and produced programmes such as ''2nd House''. In 1977 he wrote, produced and directed the docu-drama '' Above us the Earth''. The film, shot in the spring and summer of 1975, records the closure of the Ogilvie colliery in the
Rhymney Valley The Rhymney Valley () is one of the South Wales valleys, with the Rhymney River forming the border between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. Between 1974 and 1996 a Rhymney Valley local government district also existed (one ...
and the effect on the miners and the larger community. The film uses professional and amateur actors to show the relationships between workers, unions and the
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "v ...
, along with footage of the political leaders of the day. The film is seen as an important film in its social commentary and is now part of the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales. In 2010 the BBC Wales art site, selected ''Above us the Earth'' as one of the ten greatest films about Wales. In 2012, the BFI/UK Film Council selected Above Us The Earth as the best independent film ever made in Wales. In 1995 he was appointed the Head of Drama at
BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, BBC Cymru Wales is ...
, a role he held until 1997. In 2008 Francis released '' Hope Eternal'', the film tells the story of a Madagascan nurse working in a Tuberculosis and AIDS hospice in the Congo. ''Hope Eternal'' was made in six languages combining both film and poetry simultaneously using subtitles in English. The film opened the Hay Sony Film Festival 2008 and was submitted as the UK nominee for the category of
Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
for the
82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m ...
; though it failed to be selected for the final five nominees. ‘You are foolish to make this film in Africa. What horror they will say, we had to turn the television off’ Poem, by Karl Francis ‘Empowering women is what your film should be about’ Note from Hope to Director Karl Francis 'What Francis is doing in this film is taking a quite vicious story on the abuse of African children by African men, and embodying his own poetry into the harsh scenes as part of his own film culture' Hay Film Festival 'By forcing the film to stop and read poetry, he obliges the audience to move away from social realism into their own silence' Hay Film Festival


Films

*''Above Us the Earth'' (1977) *'' Afternoon of War'' (1980) *'' The Mouse and the Woman'' (1980) *''
Giro City ''Giro City'' is a 1982 British television drama film written and directed by Karl Francis. It stars Glenda Jackson, Jon Finch and Kenneth Colley. The film was released in the United States under the title ''And Nothing But the Truth'' in 1984. ...
'' (1982) *''Yr Alcoholig Llon'' (1983) *''Milwr Bychan'' (1984) *''Ms.Rhymney Valley" (1985) *''Nineteen 96'' (1989) *''
Rebecca's Daughters ''Rebecca's Daughters'' is a 1992 Welsh and German comedy adventure film about the Rebecca Riots, directed by Karl Francis. The film was based on a story by Dylan Thomas. The screenplay was originally written in 1948 by Thomas, and was publi ...
'' (1992) *''Streetlife'' (1995) *''
One of the Hollywood Ten ''One of the Hollywood Ten'' is a 2000 Spanish-British bio-picture. The film was written and directed by Karl Francis. The drama focuses on screenwriter/director Herbert Biberman and his efforts to make what would become the historic political ...
'' (2000) *''Hope Eternal'' (2008) *''Hair In The Gate'' (2012) Short Film


Television

*''Factfinder'' (1971) *''Chekhov in Derry'' (1982) *''
Morphine and Dolly Mixtures Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. The ...
'' (1990) *''
Raymond Williams Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...
: a Journey of Hope'' (1990) *''
Civvies Mufti is plain or ordinary clothes, especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, a military or other uniform, such as a school uniform. It is also called civies and civvies (slang for "civilian attire"). Origins The word o ...
'' (1992)


Notes and references


External links

*
'Broadcasters refused to commission documentary on paedophile John Owen'Murdered Cardiff prostitute Lynette White appears as an angel in new playFilm director Karl Francis asks 'is Wales asleep' in new documentary on the miners' strike
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Karl 1942 births Living people Welsh film directors People educated at Bassaleg School