IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

Founded in 1961, Merchant Ivory Productions (MIP) generated a cultural legacy of 44 films that collectively document and craft stories set in some of the most important cultural heritage sites in England, India, and several other countries. This presentation will introduce the audience to the significant role that MIP has played in preserving British history and heritage and explore how their film production and storytelling practices warrant careful reconsideration in the era of environmentally-sustainable filmmaking. Drawing on a variety of interviews, production documentaries, archival materials housed at the University of Oregon Knight Library Special Collections, I will explain how producer Ismael Merchant used his unique charm and savvy to gain access to exclusive shooting locations at historically significant houses and estates throughout Britain and Ireland (among other countries). Further, I consider the care with which Merchant and director James Ivory treated these shooting locations during production. One one hand, MIP films such as ‘Howard’s End’ and ‘Remains of the Day’ provide valuable visual catalogues of the way these houses and estates looked when they were film. On the other hand, these settings also enhance and motivate the narrative features of director James Ivory’s films, adding to the production value that makes MIP films so memorable. Simply put, MIP films have provided generations of moviegoers a unique window into British cultural heritage. Given that all of MIP’s films were shot on location, their production practices also remain highly relevant for scholarly discussion today of best practices in environmentally-sustainable filmmaking, particularly whether location shooting is more or less environmentally impactful than shooting in a studio. I will prepare slides featuring production stills, archival documents, and location stills to help the audience connect the settings of MIP’s cultural heritage films to filming locations.