Biography of 'GILBERTSON, Jenny Isabel (nee Brown)'

Image 1 for 'GILBERTSON, Jenny Isabel (nee Brown)'

Film-maker

Born: 1902, Glasgow
Died: 1990, Shetland

Gilbertson trained as a teacher and in 1929 did a secretarial course with journalism in London. She saw an amateur film of a Loch Lomond holiday and decided filmmaking was for her, making educational films and lecturing with them in schools, she bought a 16mm camera and practised by filming two 50ft rolls in the park. Arriving in Shetland to film seasonal life in January 1931, by autumn had made A Crofter’s Life in Shetland. After cutting the film together she invited John Grierson to view it. He was enthusiastic and advised her on documentary-making techniques and to buy a professional camera, so she bought a 35mm Eyemo.

Returning to the Shetland Islands, she made 5 films, which Grierson bought, for the GPO Film Library, he then advised her to make a story- documentary. This resulted in The Rugged Island- A Shetland Lyric, a story of the harsh life of crofting families in the 1930s. During a 1934/35 lecture tour of Canada with "Rugged Island", Gilbertson made Prairie Winter with Evelyn Spice. Gilbertson used this in a lecture tour of Britain. Between 1936-1939 she made three Shetland films.

From 1940 Gilbertson ran a small Shetland hosiery business. Realising in 1947 that she had no head for business, she reluctantly accepted an offer of teaching in the local school for one year and stayed for twenty. During this time she broadcast several short radio talks, wrote scripts for schools radio and two one-hour radio plays. While she was still teaching, her friend, filmmaker Elizabeth Balneaves, suggested they make a film together for BBC Northern Service. People of Many Lands - Shetland was broadcast on BBC in October 1967. Gilbertson retired from teaching in 1967 and was able to devote more time to filmmaking. She had collected material of the cyclical life of the ponies on Shetland and after several attempts to film the mares foaling she finished Shetland Pony in 1969.

In 1970, Gilbertson and Balneaves prepared to film in Canada, but Balneaves became ill so Gilbertson went alone. She made several films of Arctic life, People of Many Lands – the Eskimo was commissioned by the BBC Jenny’s Arctic - Part 1 was made for Canadian Broadcasting Company in 1972. To film Jenny’s Dog Team Journey, in 1975, 4 adults and a baby travelled 300 miles in two weeks over inhospitable terrain from Igloolik to Repulse Bay. CBC in 1976 and BBC in 1978 broadcast the film.

In 1977-78 Gilbertson, now 76, spent 13 months in Grisefiord, 900 miles north of the Arctic Circle to make Jenny’s Arctic Diary, recording a cyclical year in the life of the Inuit community. Gilbertson was remarkable in that all her films were what she described as a "one-woman job"; she did all the script-writing, filming, sound, lighting, direction herself. Her films were so successful because they had a very special quality; she identified with and was clearly accepted by the people being filmed.

Researcher: Anne Wade

Films associated with 'COCOZZA, Enrico'

19 hits

Asc Desc
	AMONG THE CLOUDS [1065] Add to my films The panoramic scenery of the Assiniboine Range in the Canadian Rockies, seen through the eyes of a climbing party. [This film was given to the film-maker Jenny Gilbertson by the Canadian Government in the 1950s to be used while lecturing in Canada].	1952 silent bw
	BIG TIMBER [1079] Add to my films Coverage of lumberjacking in British Columbia, from trees cut and sawed to being shipped all over the world.	1949 silent bw
	CATTLE SALE, a [0989] Add to my films Scenes at a cattle sale in Shetland.	1932 silent bw
	CROFTER'S LIFE IN SHETLAND, a [0981] Add to my films A cyclical year on a croft in the Shetland Isles with scenes of islanders at work on their crofts, fishing and celebrations during the "Up Helly Aa" festival.	1931 silent bw
	DA MAKKIN O' A KESHIE [1127] Add to my films A crofter in Shetland demonstrates how to make a 'keshie' to carry home his peat. [One of a group of films made by Jenny Brown and bought by John Grierson for the GPO Film Library in the 1930s].	1932 silent bw
	GILBERTSON STOCK SHOTS [3397] Add to my films Possibly footage shot for PEOPLE OF MANY LANDS - SHETLAND (BBC). (16 mins)	1967 mute bw
	IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING [1129] Add to my films Crofters are seen gathering and then "rooing" sheep, carding and spinning the wool to make jumpers. [One of a group of films about Shetland made by Jenny Brown and purchased by John Grierson for the GPO Film Library in the 1930s]	1932 silent bw
	JENNY'S ARCTIC DIARY [3008] Add to my films A cyclical year in the lives of the Inuit community at Grise Fjord, Ellesmere Island, 900 miles north of the Arctic circle.	1978 sound col
	JENNY'S ARCTIC PART I [2999] Add to my films Dog sleighs and hunting at an Inuit village.	1972 mute col
	JENNY'S DOG TEAM JOURNEY [2510] Add to my films A dog team journey made from Igloolik to Repulse Bay, 300 miles by sea ice and over the hills of the Melville Peninsula, with four adults and a three month old baby. The journey took two weeks, sleeping in an igloo every night. [BBC purchased British rights and the film was shown on March 2nd, 1978. A re-edited version was made in 1982].	1975 sound col
	NORTHERN OUTPOST [0773] Add to my films Fishing and agriculture, transport, the archaeology and scenery of the Shetland Isles.	1940 sound bw
	ROVDEHORN [3023] Add to my films Film recalling the Norwegian government's gift of the car ferry 'Rovdehorn' to Shetland and historical links formed between Shetland and Norway during World War II. [Re-editing of original black & white footage shot in 1965, with colour prologue. Epilogue recorded in 1988].	1988 sound bwcol
	RUGGED ISLAND, the : A SHETLAND LYRIC [0991] Add to my films A documentary story film about a young couple torn between the choice of emigration to Australia or remaining to work their croft in Shetland.	1972 silent bw
	SCENES FROM A SHETLAND CROFT LIFE [0980] Add to my films How peat is cut using a "tushkar" and made ready to be used as fuel in a croft in the Shetland Isles.	1932 silent bw
	SEABIRDS IN THE SHETLAND ISLANDS [1128] Add to my films Footage of the seabirds found in the Shetland Isles. [One of a group of films made by Jenny Brown and bought by John Grierson for the GPO Film Library in the 1930s].	1932 silent bw
	SHETLAND PONY [1130] Add to my films The rearing of Shetland ponies on island crofts.	1969 sound bw
	VOYAGEUR TRAILS [1077] Add to my films Story of Ozark Ripley and his party of friends going for canoeing and fishing trip on the French River in Canada, which was discovered by the French Explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1615.	1945 silent bw
	WALRUS HUNT [6911] Add to my films Overview of Inuit hunters killing a walrus and dragging it onboard their boat.	sound col
	YOUNG GANNET, a [0990] Add to my films A solan goose is caught by a crofter on Shetland, but is returned to the sea after a fortnight.	1932 silent bw