Please read Understanding catalogue records for help interpreting this information and Using footage for more information about accessing this film.

Title: SHEIKH OTHMAN

Reference number: 3599

Date: 1954*

Director: filmed by James Ballantyne

Sponsor: The Church of Scotland Foreign Mission Committee

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 44.14 mins

Description: The work of the Church of Scotland Boys' Brigade Mission, Sheikh Othman, Aden, and in particular the Keith-Falconer Hospital.

Credits: featuring Dr A S Affara and Dr R B Smith and Harry Mellor, ex 'B.B.' boy, as a visitor

Shotlist: Reel 1
-where the Keith-Falconer Hospital - makes available to Moslem men & women the ministry of healing in Christ's name - to this work our Boys' Brigade Companies and Life Boy Teams are giving generously featuring Dr A S Affara and Dr R B Smith and Harry Mellor, ex 'B.B.' boy, as a visitor [credits] (1.20) Harry arrives at Steamer Point and is met by Dr Smith c/u suitcase label "H. Mellor, "B.B." Hospital, Sheikh Othman. Aden" - shot of liner Most East-bound ships re-fuel at Aden. Four thousand berth annually. These are the Barren Rocks of Aden. Tradition is that Cain was buried here a fugitive in a cursed land. Sheikh Othman is twelve miles distant so they decide to explore on the way shots of landscape, street scenes, intercut with map of Aden (5.35) footage of landscape, an official ceremony of soldiers marching past (8.17) shots of surrounding area, airport (12.50) shots of a sick man being collected from side of road by Harry and Dr Smith and taken to hospital - meet Dr Affara, our trusted Arab missionary, in charge of the Hospital & Miss E Montgomery Nursing Sister, relieving Miss R A J Bain, Matron, for furlough - Harry is welcomed (14.54) 402ft)

Reel 2
footage of street life in Aden - Suppressed & degraded Moslem women rarely go out of doors (2.58) shots of Harry with Dr. Affara as an emergency call comes in to the hospital, shots of the patient arriving in a fishing boat (6.45) ext. the Church of Scotland Mission with shots of sick people arriving and being treated by medical staff (10.55) The Medical Services for The West Protectorate - was supervised by the Mission Doctors in its initial stage. The training of tribal dressers was the responsibility of the Hospital Staff shots of an anatomy class, shots of sick children - Mothers are beginning to see the value of Mrs. Affara's clinic - shots of children being given milk at the clinic (15.00) (405ft)

Reel 3
A Boys' Brigade consignment of equipment arrives shot of truck arriving at hospital with box marked "Arche Young & Son Surgical Instrument [unreadable word, possibly Manufacturers], Edinburgh", instruments are unpacked (1.35) shots of an operation in progress "B.B."gifts from Scotland have modernised the operating theatre - shots of hospital equipment, shots of Harry joining in games with children (5.06) The Christian message is explained to attentive but often unresponsive hearers - shots of medical staff singing hymns and reading from the Bible to patients (5.50) shots of staff going into church, children in Sunday School and adults in Bible class (7.20) Without a missionary teacher our children attend Moslem and Roman Catholic schools...The Keith-Falconer Hospital named after the first Missionary...he died here aged thirty years after only nine months service - shot of his headstone, ext. of Church of Scotland Keith Falconer Memorial (9.14) shots of Mosques - Moslems claim Islam as a brotherhood - but in many places, the hand of every man is against his brother...they fervently believe in the primacy of Mohammed above Jesus & the prophets - and the authority of the Koran above the Bible. Women are kept ignorant and live in fear of evil spirits, divorce & on-coming old age. Salvation is by meritorious work and by repetition of creed and prayers five times daily -....They regard Christians as insufficiently taught & therefore deceivers - shot of writing in Arabic, shot of translation - "The Deceiving Doctor" - thus the Doctor is commonly addressed - and his message treated by some - yet gladly do they accept Christian love and kindness at the Hospital. After seventy years work the Christian community is but a tiny group - only a few are fully convinced Christians. Dr Affara is a native of Aden and our most outstanding convert. Having won their confidence he works "to extend Christ's Kingdom amongst Arabs" (12.56) c/u label on suitcase for Aden being replaced for "H. Mellor, Passenger to Southampton" - Tell the "B.B." we are most grateful for their help upon which we are depending so much - . Can we look forward to the day when we shall welcome - Recruits to the Missionary ranks from the young people of Scotland (13.34) shot of Harry leaving in Land Rover (13.54) Although the work is hard and the response meagre - Arabs are children of God & need the Gospel of His Son. The prayers & support of men and women of The Church of Scotland are needed (14.14) (384ft)