The Question in the Village

Credits

Produced, Directed and Edited by Jannette Cheong

Based on a screenplay by Eric Mottram (1924-1995)

Narrated by Hugh Quarshie

Music Composed and Performed by Jonathan Dove

Photography by Jannette Cheong and Steve Dwoskin (1939-2012)

Technical Production - Douglas Weir

Audio Mix - Bill Cargill

Executive Producer - Paul Laikin

Special thanks to

  • The Julia Feininger Estate for granting permission to make the film in 1972.

  • The Hess family, the late Hans and Lillie Hess, and their daughter Anita, who allowed the collection to be filmed at their home in Lewes, Sussex, and for liaising with the Feininger Estate.

  • The vision of the late Tom Eckersley, who encouraged Jannette to make the film in 1972.

  • Steve Tollervey and Douglas Weir at the British Film Institute for their kind encouragement and support after Jannette’s rediscovery of the original film footage in 2019.

  • Friends who helped with the original project in 1972, and more recently, especially Hugh, Jonathan and Alexandra for all their help and encouragement.

In celebration of

Lyonel Feininger (born 150 years ago) - the German-American expressionist master, and Bauhaus co-founder, who brought his wonderful art and imaginary world closer to ours through the characters he created in these hand-carved and painted wooden figures that he sent to the Hess family in 1951 and 1953.

Eric Mottram (1924-95) - British teacher, critic, editor and poet, and a central figure of the British Poetry Revival, who used his lyrical mind to bring these Feininger figures to life when he wrote the original script for Jannette in 1972, incorporating Zen quotations and the titles of paintings by Feininger’s friend, Paul Klee.

Steve Dwoskin (1939-2012) - American experimental film-maker, whose work affected the British Theorists of the 1970s, and who so willingly helped his student by supporting the filming in 1972.

Copyright

The Question in the Village Film and book of the film © Jannette Cheong. All rights reserved.

(Music) The Question in the Village Composed and Performed by Jonathan Dove © 2021 by Peters Edition Limited. Licensed courtesy Peters Edition Limited, London. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.