Back in the seventies, before videos on phones, 8mm home films were popular. I was teaching Junior High School, and at that time one of my Swiss uncles made me a present of a Bolex, an 8mm camera. I decided to teach one of my eighth grade classes film making.
We had to improvise for the script. I remember the script called for one of the eighth graders to drive a getaway car. I put my Dodge Dart in the middle of the teachers’ parking lot, turned off the motor, and left the car in Neutral. About five of the boys got behind the car, and pushed while we filmed the driver going past all the parked cars on the way to his destination.
I showed the film to all my classes, but there was no jubilant or enthusiastic response. I stored the finished movie in the English Dept. chairman’s office. About a year later I checked to see it again, but it was gone! Some student had stolen it — who else would want it? — and my doubts about that piece of film artistry had vanished!
Civilization 