Way of the Morris

Dir: Rob Curry & Tim Plester
UK/2011/64mins
Print Source: mario.cerna@electricsky.com
Web: Way of the Morris
Persons under 15 admitted if accompanied by a parent or adult guardian

New session just added! Join 720 ABC Perth's Geoff Hutchison, Perth's own Morris Men and enjoy very British tea cakes for a special morning screening of Way of the Morris on Saturday July 7th, 11am!

Morris dancing is quintessentially British; to some it is the perfect accompaniment to a beer on a weekend afternoon, while to others there is something vaguely comic if not absurd about it. As this film illustrates the dance is part of a wider tradition with ancient roots that stretch from old Albion through to the 21st century.
 
Filmmaker Tim Plester comes from a family of dancers and in Way of the Morris he explores the tradition, tracing it the through autobiography, biography and fraternity. These explorations are set against the community of the Oxfordshire village of Adderbury and the local dancers. What follows is an evocative and occasionally poignant journey that traces not just Morris Dancing but village life, folk music, culture and history. Contributors to this docu-ballad include Fairport Convention’s Chris Leslie and an erudite Billy Bragg who offer further insights into the Morris and the lively culture it represents.
 
“An undeniably charming film about Morris Dancing that, despite its jokey title, turns out to be a very personal essay-meditation on identity and tradition.” – The Guardian
 
“elegiac. rhapsodic. and beautifully-made.” Wire Magazine
 
Screens with The Globe Collector