Artsopolis: All Arts. Online. Anytime.

• Tell-a-friend
• Official web site

World Without Walls - Beryl Markham's African Memoir

Coastside Film Society

June 15, 2007

Be the first to submit a review/comment!
Add Review/Comment

Beryl grew up as a wild child in colonial Kenya. When she was only three her family moved into a traditional African mud hut. Her Mother could not put up with this rustic lifestyle and quickly abandoned Beryl and her father. Local tribesmen began caring for Beryl so that her father could work the farm. Before long Beryl spoke Swahili like a native, could out hunt and track many of her black playmates, and rode horses like the wind. At the age of 19, Beryl began a career as a professional racehorse trainer. She was the first woman to be granted a trainer's license in Kenya. When her own horses won a few local races, other owners began to send their horses to her to train. In 1926, when she was just 24, her horse, Wise Child, won the prestigious St. Leger race; the first of many wins for Beryl's stable. By the 1930's Beryl had developed a new passion - flying. She was the first woman to receive a commercial pilot's license in Kenya. She was also the first successful female bush pilot - taking on contracts to deliver mail throughout rural Africa and serving as the preferred scout for a great many famous game hunters. In 1936, she accomplished her most daring feat. During a daring solo flight from London to New York, she became the first person to fly across the Atlantic from West to East. Writer/producers Steve Talbot, Joan Saffa and Judy Flannery weave Beryl Markham's story out of an impressive assemblage of archival black-and-white newsreel footage. When no archival footage was available, they have gone back to Kenya to shoot modern color footage that ties it all together. Beryl Markham's words in this documentary are pulled from Beryl's personal memoirs and given voice by Diana Quick, the actress who played Julia in ''Brideshead Revisited''. Through pictures and words the documentary brings us into Beryl Markham's inner circle. We get to experience the highlights of her life, the painful reality of her many divorces and her friendships with other African luminaries of her time including Isak Dinesen and Ernest Hemingway. It is a documentary well lived.

• At-a-Glance
• Member Reviews
• Media Reviews
• What's Nearby

• Ticket Info

  Tickets: $6 (donation)

• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  June 15, 2007

  Times:
  8pm

• Venue Info

  ,

• Accessibility Info

• NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

• Member Reviews

  Add review/comment

  There are currently no reviews/comments for this event - be the first to Add a Review/Comment, and let folks know what you think!