Watch This
Debate produces list of films that children should see
On 13 July 2005 the bfi and the Barbican jointly hosted a debate called Watch This! to discuss whether there should be a list of films that all children should see by the age of 14. Participants at the debate, as well as a number of children's film organisations across Europe and individuals including bfi staff, filmmakers and teachers, were invited to submit nominations. The following is an alphabetical list of the ten most recommended films for children to see:
- Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948, Italy)
- ET The Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982, USA)
- Kes (Ken Loach, 1969, UK)
- The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955, USA)
- Les Quatre Cents Coups (François Truffaut, 1959, France)
- Show Me Love (Lukas Moodysson, 1998, Sw/Dk)
- Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Japan)
- Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995, USA)
- Where is the Friend's House? (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987, Iran)
- The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939, USA)
While most public debate about children's film viewing focuses on protection rather than entitlement, the Watch This! debate showed how passionately people care about children's film heritage. We know that the films on the list aren't just there because people think they'd be good for children: they're films that people have shown to their own families or to pupils and they know how much children have enjoyed them.
Both the Top Ten and Top Fifty are surprising, thought-provoking lists and in no way final. Points of possible contention include the shortage of British films represented, the relative lack of cultural diversity and the preponderance of boys as central characters. We hope people will go on arguing about them so that the list can evolve. Comments and recommendations can be sent to bfi Education .
The list demonstrates just how diverse a range of classic and world cinema can be made available to children, and we hope that it will generate further action leading to more diverse and adventurous TV commissioning, DVD publishing, cinema distribution and programming.
All the Watch This! titles that are currently available on DVD can be ordered from MovieMail www.moviemail-online.co.uk either individually or as a discount package.
The Watch This! debate was co-produced with the Barbican and both organisations are committed to a continuing partnership to make the case for children's film heritage, including a follow-up event during the London Children's Film Festival in November 2005.
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