"30 Years as an Adventure Cameraman: Book 1, Light into the Darkness."
Sid Perou. By the author, Chiang Mai, Thailand; nd [2013]. 6 by 8
inches, 222 pages plus video DVD, softbound. $32 postpaid.
Sid Perou was the best-known and most-awarded cave cinematographer
during the era of film. (Did you know that megachiropteran, an old-
world fruit bat, is an anagram for cinematographer?) He was making
films for the BBC starting in the days of wind-up 16-mm cameras,
motorcycle batteries, and car headlamps. This book tells of his
adventures making films of caves beneath the Pennines in England, a
British expedition to Papua New Guinea, exploration in the Gouffe
Pierre Saint-Martin, at the time deepest in the world, and Castleguard
Cave in the Canadian Rockies. He filmed an actual cave rescue in
England; the victim died, but, despite some qualms, the BBC broadcast
it anyway. The making of these and other films, often under producers
who knew nothing about the difficulties of caving, is very
entertaining reading.
The book is illustrated only by a few small black-and-white photos,
but it includes a video DVD with about 45 minutes of clips from his
films. Don't expect modern DVD quality; the material, after all, is
from old 16-mm film that the years have not been good to. The text of
the book would have benefitted from careful, or even careless,
editing, but this does not seriously detract from the classic tales.
Order from the author at [email protected], with payment to that
address via PayPal. Be patient; the book will be mailed in Thailand.—
Bill Mixon
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