Karl Francis
Encyclopedia
Karl Francis is a Welsh
film
and television director
, producer and screenwriter, associated with left-wing political causes. His work is inspired by the likes of Chris Marker
and Ken Loach
and has included output in both the English
and Welsh language
s.
in South Wales. He won a scholarship which allowed him to study at Manchester University where he gained his BA in 1964. He then attended Hornsey College of Art
to study for a post-graduate diploma on Film in Education. He began his media career in television in 1971, first as an independent invetigator, before taking a production post with ITV
, working on Weekend World
for London Weekend Television
. In 1973 he switched to the BBC
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
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
, 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 1995 he was appointed the Head of Drama at BBC Wales
, 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
for the 82nd Academy Awards
; though it failed to be selected for the final five nominees.
In July 2009 Francis was put on the UK sex offenders' register after "admitting wrongdoing" in relation to the offence of making indecent images of children. Francis stated that he was undertaking a film project into the trafficking of children for the sex trade, and stated that despite informing the police of the nature of his investigation before hand, he felt forced to accept the caution after his computer, which contained his life's written work, had been seized. In July 2011 Francis spoke in public about his desire to the see the cautioning system, which saw him placed on the sex offenders register for two years, reformed, taking into account genuine investigative work. In August 2011 the Independent Police Complaints Commission
accepted Francis' claim that the South Wales Police had failed to investigate a series of complaints about the handling of his case. As of 1 August 2011 the South Wales Police are investigating his complaints.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
film
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, producer and screenwriter, associated with left-wing political causes. His work is inspired by the likes of Chris Marker
Chris Marker
Chris Marker is a French writer, photographer, documentary film director, multimedia artist and film essayist. His best known films are La jetée , A Grin Without a Cat , Sans Soleil and AK , an essay film on the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa...
and Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
and has included output in both the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
s.
Biography
Francis was born in BedwasBedwas
Bedwas is a town two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
in South Wales. He won a scholarship which allowed him to study at Manchester University where he gained his BA in 1964. He then attended Hornsey College of Art
Hornsey College of Art
Hornsey College of Art is a former college centred in Crouch End, London, England. Since 2008, the building has been a part of Coleridge Primary School, upon its expansion to four form entry...
to study for a post-graduate diploma on Film in Education. He began his media career in television in 1971, first as an independent invetigator, before taking a production post with ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, working on Weekend World
Weekend World
Weekend World is a British television political series, made by London Weekend Television and broadcast from 1972 to 1988.Created by John Birt not long after he moved to LWT, the series was broadcast on the ITV network at lunchtimes on Sundays...
for London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
. In 1973 he switched to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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
Rhymney Valley
The Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...
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
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board 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 mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
, 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 1995 he was appointed the Head of Drama at BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
, 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
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
for the 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
; though it failed to be selected for the final five nominees.
In July 2009 Francis was put on the UK sex offenders' register after "admitting wrongdoing" in relation to the offence of making indecent images of children. Francis stated that he was undertaking a film project into the trafficking of children for the sex trade, and stated that despite informing the police of the nature of his investigation before hand, he felt forced to accept the caution after his computer, which contained his life's written work, had been seized. In July 2011 Francis spoke in public about his desire to the see the cautioning system, which saw him placed on the sex offenders register for two years, reformed, taking into account genuine investigative work. In August 2011 the Independent Police Complaints Commission
Independent Police Complaints Commission
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a non-departmental public body in England and Wales responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales.-Role:...
accepted Francis' claim that the South Wales Police had failed to investigate a series of complaints about the handling of his case. As of 1 August 2011 the South Wales Police are investigating his complaints.
Films
- Above Us the Earth (1977)
- The Mouse and the Woman (1980)
- Giro CityGiro CityGiro City is a 1982 British drama film written and directed by Karl Francis and starring Glenda Jackson, Jon Finch and Kenneth Colley. A team of reporters come up against censorship when they pursue a story...
(1982) - Yr Alcoholig Llon (1983)
- Milwr Bychan (1984)
- Ms.Rhymney Valley" (1985)
- Nineteen 96 (1989)
- Rebecca's DaughtersRebecca's DaughtersRebecca's Daughters is a 1992 British and German comedy film, directed by Karl Francis.It was based on a story by Dylan Thomas. The screenplay was originally written in 1948 by Thomas, but forty four years elapsed before it was finally made into a film, which is the longest period of this kind on...
(1992) - Streetlife (1995)
- One of the Hollywood TenOne of the Hollywood TenOne of the Hollywood Ten is a Spanish and 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 film, Salt of the Earth , produced without studio backing...
(2000) - Hope Eternal (2008)
Television
- Factfinder (1971)
- Chekhov in Derry (1982)
- Morphine and Dolly Mixtures (1990)
- Raymond WilliamsRaymond WilliamsRaymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts...
: a Journey of Hope (1990) - Civvies (1992)