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Peter Watkins (born 29 October 1935) is an English film and (once) television director. He was born in Norbiton, Surrey, lived in Sweden and Canada for many years, and now lives in France. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about motion pictures. ... A television director is usually responsible for directing the actors and other taped aspects of a television production. ... Norbiton is a place in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. ... This article is about the English county. ...

After studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Watkins began his television and film career as an assistant producer of short TV films and commercials, and in the early 1960s was an assistant editor and director of documentaries at the BBC. All of his films have either been documentary or drama presented with documentary techniques, sometimes portraying historical occurrences and sometimes possible near future events as if contemporary reporters and filmmakers were there to interview the participants. Watkins pioneered this technique in his first full-length television film, Culloden, which portrayed the Jacobite uprising of 1745 in a style similar to the Vietnam War reporting of the time. In 1965, he won a Jacob's Award for Culloden at the annual presentation ceremony in Dublin.^[1] RADAs theatre in London The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in Bloomsbury, London, is considered to be one of the most prestigious drama schools in the world. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Culloden is a 1964 television film written and directed by Peter Watkins and originally broadcast by the BBC. It portrays the Jacobite uprising of 1745 and the Battle of Culloden. ... Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, wearing the Jacobite blue bonnet Jacobitism was (and, to a very limited extent, remains) the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland. ... // Events May 11 - War of Austrian Succession: Battle of Fontenoy - At Fontenoy, French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army including the Black Watch June 4 – Frederick the Great destroys Austrian army at Hohenfriedberg August 19 - Beginning of the 45 Jacobite Rising at Glenfinnan September 12 - Francis I is elected... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The Jacobs Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ...

The scope and formal innovation of Culloden drew immediate critical acclaim for the previously unknown director, and the BBC commissioned him for another ambitious production, the nuclear-war docudrama The War Game, for The Wednesday Play strand. Although Watkins' strong anti-war beliefs had already been apparent in Culloden, the BBC apparently expected The War Game to be dry and patriotic^{[citation needed]}; when the finished film turned out to be not only graphically horrifying but an open rebuke to government policy, the BBC were pressured into banning it from broadcast by the government, although they did arrange a screening for journalists and television critics. Watkins has since had similar conflicts with state television networks in other countries. The production was subsequently released to cinemas and won the 1966 Academy Award for Documentary Feature, eventually being screened on the BBC in the 1980s. For the Doctor Who serial, see The War Games. ... The Wednesday Play was a British television drama anthology series, which ran on BBC ONE from 1964 to 1970. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The Academy Award for Documentary Feature is one of the most prestigious awards for documentary films. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

His reputation as a political provocateur was amplified by Punishment Park, a story of violent political conflict in the United States that coincided with the Kent State Massacre. Opposition to war is a common theme of his work, but the films' political messages are often ambiguous, usually allowing the main characters to present violently opposing viewpoints which in many cases are improvised by the cast: in Punishment Park, the soldiers and dissidents were played by nonprofessional actors whose political opinions matched those of their characters so well that the director said he feared actual violence would break out on set. He took a similar approach in his Paris Commune reenactment La Commune, using newspaper advertisements to recruit conservative actors who would have a genuine antipathy to the Commune rebels. Watkins is also known for political statements about the film and television media, writing extensively about flaws in television news and the dominance of the Hollywood-derived narrative style that he refers to as "the monoform". Punishment Park is a 1971 film written and directed by Peter Watkins. ... Mary Ann Vecchio kneels over the body of Jeffrey Miller The Kent State shootings occurred at Kent State University, Ohio, and involved the shooting of students by the National Guard on May 4, 1970. ... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... Le Père Duchesne looking at the statue of Napoleon I on top of the Vendome column: Eh ben ! bougre de canaille, on va donc te foutre en bas comme ta crapule de neveu !… (Well now! buggering rascal, we will knock you the fuck off just like your crook of... La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000) is a film by Peter Watkins about the Paris Commune. ... ...

After the banning of The War Game and the poor reception of his first non-television feature, Privilege, Watkins left England and has made all of his subsequent films abroad: The Gladiators in Sweden, Punishment Park in the United States, Edvard Munch in Norway, Resan (a 14-hour film cycle about the threat of nuclear war) in ten different countries, and La Commune in France. Privilege is a British film directed by Peter Watkins. ... The Gladiators (alternate titles - The Peace Game or Gladiatorerna) is a film made in Sweden in 1969, with English subtitles, 90 minutes. ... Edvard Munch is a 1973 biographical film about the Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch, written and directed by Peter Watkins. ... Resan (The Journey) is a 14 ½ hour film by Peter Watkins, made between the years 1983 and 1985 on several continents, and structured around the theme of nuclear weapons, military spending and poverty. ...

Freethinker: The Life and Work of Peter Watkins, is a forthcoming biography by Patrick Murphy, a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television at York St John University and Dr John Cook. It is being compiled with Watkins' active help and participation.

Summary of Films

Punishment Park is based on the "siege mentality" of police force during the 1970s. Protesters are given a choice for sentencing, and Punishment Park is one of the choices. Punishment Park lets the Protesters try to endure a three day long contest in a barren desert without food, while being pursued by armed National Guardsmen. Punishment Park is a 1971 film written and directed by Peter Watkins. ...

The War Game is filmed in a documentary fashion and looks at the possible effects of nuclear war on England. The film is notable for its intense power and imagery. It later won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, as well as the 1967 Best Documentary Feature award in Great Britain. For the Doctor Who serial, see The War Games. ...

The Gladiators (The Peace Game) views war as a futuristic sporting event where it seems as if games are being played for a television audience. The Gladiators (alternate titles - The Peace Game or Gladiatorerna) is a film made in Sweden in 1969, with English subtitles, 90 minutes. ...

Privilege looks at a performing singer placed in a futuristic totalitarian state. The main character, Steven Shorter (Paul Jones), is an intense character who sympathizes with the youth of the nation. He becomes very popular, yet realizes that his life is also controlled by the government. In 1978, Patti Smith recorded one of the film's songs, "Set Me Free" (as "Privilege {Set Me Free}") on her album Easter. The recording charted on the Top-100 lists in the UK (#72) and Ireland (#13). Privilege is a British film directed by Peter Watkins. ... Paul Jones (born Paul Pond, 24 February 1942, in Portsmouth, England) is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio and television presenter. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Patricia Lee (Patti) Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American musician, singer, and poet. ... An album by The Patti Smith Group. ...

Edvard Munch looks directly at Munch's life, with special detail to his early years. Edvard Munch is a 1973 biographical film about the Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch, written and directed by Peter Watkins. ...

The 70's People

Selected filmography

• Culloden (1964)
• The War Game (1965)
• Privilege (1967)
• The Gladiators (The Peace Game) (1969)
• Punishment Park (1970)
• Edvard Munch (1973)
• The Seventies People (1975)
• Fällan (The Trap) (1975)
• Aftenlandet (Evening Land) (1977)
• Resan (The Journey) (1987)
• The Freethinker (1994) (Titled Fritänkaren in Swedish)
• La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000)

Culloden is a documentary film written and directed by Peter Watkins and originally broadcast by the BBC on December 15, 1964. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... For the Doctor Who serial, see The War Games. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Privilege is a British film directed by Peter Watkins. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... The Gladiators (alternate titles - The Peace Game or Gladiatorerna) is a film made in Sweden in 1969, with English subtitles, 90 minutes. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Punishment Park is a 1971 film written and directed by Peter Watkins. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edvard Munch is a 1973 biographical film about the Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch, written and directed by Peter Watkins. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Resan (The Journey) is a 14 ½ hour film by Peter Watkins, made between the years 1983 and 1985 on several continents, and structured around the theme of nuclear weapons, military spending and poverty. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000) is a film by Peter Watkins about the Paris Commune. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

References

1. ^ The Irish Times, "Television awards presented", December 9, 1965

External links

• Peter Watkins' official site
• BFI: Peter Watkins
• Peter Watkins at the Internet Movie Database
• Film International, Peter Watkins Special, January 2003 (PDF format)
• La Commune (Paris, 1871) on DVD