Cinema Verity
Encyclopedia
Cinema Verity was a British
independent television
and film
production company, founded in 1985 by Verity Lambert
, the television producer, who named the company after herself and as a pun on the expression 'cinéma vérité
'.
The company's first major venture was the 1988 feature film
A Cry in the Dark
, which was produced by Lambert herself and based on the infamous Azaria Chamberlain 'dingo baby' case
in Australia
in the early 1980s.
Thereafter, the company was active mainly in television, producing two successful sitcoms for BBC1
, May to December
(1989–94) and So Haunt Me
(1992–94). Less successfully during this period, they also co-produced the much-derided soap opera
Eldorado (1992–93).
Other work included the literary adaptation The Cazalets
for BBC One in 2001. This programme was co-produced by actress Joanna Lumley
, whose initial idea the adaptation had been.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
independent television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
production company, founded in 1985 by Verity Lambert
Verity Lambert
Verity Ann Lambert, OBE was an English television and film producer. She is best known as the founding producer of the science-fiction series Doctor Who, a programme which has become a part of British popular culture, and for her association with Thames Television...
, the television producer, who named the company after herself and as a pun on the expression 'cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
'.
The company's first major venture was the 1988 feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
A Cry in the Dark
A Cry in the Dark
Evil Angels is a 1988 Australian film directed by Fred Schepisi. The screenplay by Schepisi and Robert Caswell is based on John Bryson's 1985 book Evil Angels, the title under which the film was released in Australia...
, which was produced by Lambert herself and based on the infamous Azaria Chamberlain 'dingo baby' case
Azaria Chamberlain disappearance
Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain was a nine-week-old Australian baby girl, who disappeared on the night of 17 August 1980 on a camping trip to Uluru with her family. Her body was never found. Her parents, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, reported that she had been taken from their tent by a dingo...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the early 1980s.
Thereafter, the company was active mainly in television, producing two successful sitcoms for BBC1
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, May to December
May to December
May to December was a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC1. The series was written by Paul Mendelson and produced by Cinema Verity....
(1989–94) and So Haunt Me
So Haunt Me
So Haunt Me is a British television sitcom about a family that moves into a home occupied by the ghost of its previous resident, a middle-aged Jewish mother. The show was produced by Cinema Verity for the BBC and originally aired from 1992 to 1994....
(1992–94). Less successfully during this period, they also co-produced the much-derided soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Eldorado (1992–93).
Other work included the literary adaptation The Cazalets
The Cazalets
The Cazalets is a 2001 five-episode television drama series about a large privileged family set at the time of World War II, set between 1937 and 1947. It was based on the novels of Elizabeth Jane Howard, adapted by the screenwriter Douglas Livingstone. The series was originally produced by Cinema...
for BBC One in 2001. This programme was co-produced by actress Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
, whose initial idea the adaptation had been.