I just wanted to update anyone who actually cares about this film in its 
various incarnations. The copy the French prof here owns is a SECAM VHS, 
purchased she says in the mid-1980s, and indubitably a legal copy. It was 
issued in a series called 'Les films de ma vie" curated by Claude Berri and 
Jean-Francois Davy. It is based on the 1986 restoration and includes a sound 
track. Issued by Ciné Vidéo Film with co-distribution by Gaumont Columbia 
Tristar Home Video; I gather both of these companies are gone. Copyright is 
attributed to Films sans frontières, and on their website the film appears
http://www.films-sans-frontieres.fr/fiche-film/film-inhumaine-l--69.html
though with no evidence that a version is available for sale. But they may be 
the ones preparing a DVD release.

Re. the audio; The cover says this is "original music written and directed by 
Jean-Christophe Desnoux." Perhaps for copyright reasons a new score was 
commissioned? I didn't listen to the audio much but it did strike me as quite 
different from the music presented in the online clip (35 min. long), which I 
assume is the Milhaud.  I haven't gone into that yet (looking at the credits, 
comparing with the online movie clip).

So the film WAS released in France, but possibly never elsewhere, since nobody 
seems to have heard of a version with English title translations. No idea if 
there's any way to pin down whether or not the image was copyrighted in such a 
way as to be valid now.

I just watched the whole thing and it's pretty cool. I also did a rough 
translation of the titles, so if anyone does have a copy and needs that, let me 
know. In particular, the video available online is illegible in places but the 
VHS was quite clear.

Judy Shoaf
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues 
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, 
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and 
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective 
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication 
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and 
distributors.

Reply via email to