Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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The Story of the Kelly Gang
(1906)
Inscribed 2007
What is it
The first full-length narrative feature film produced
anywhere in the world, telling the story of the famous
Australian bushranger Ned Kelly (1855–80) and his gang.
Why was it inscribed
The Story of the Kelly Gang heralds the emergence of
the feature-film format, giving it profound significance
in cinema history. On a national scale, it symbolizes
both the birth of the Australian film industry and the
emergence of an Australian identity.
Where is it
National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra, Australia
The Story of the Kelly Gang, directed by Charles Tait in
1906, is a seminal work in the history of feature-film
making, as it is believed to be the first feature-length
fiction film ever made. Actively promoted as the longest
film made to that date, it presented the first true feature
story in more than 60 minutes of screen time.
422 The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)
� The gang reads the proclamation.
The film had its first showing on 26 December 1906
and was enthusiastically received by the first generation
of cinemagoers. It illustrated the potential for detailed
storytelling in cinematic form and its creation influenced
both cinema production worldwide and also the network
of individuals who were to become the creative filmmakers
of the 20th century.
It was a popular success in Australia, New Zealand and
Great Britain and heralded the 20th century’s fascination
with cinema as a narrative vehicle.
Its purely Australian theme of bushranging also had
an enormous impact in Australia, where the attitude to
bushrangers could range from disapproval to admiration.