BFI

This and Women Fetching Water from the Nile (1897) are the only two films believed to survive from Henry Short's ten-film series depicting aspects of Egypt. As with the other film, this is a pictorial study of fishermen untangling their nets and unloading their catch onto the quayside.

The location is Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal. This had been created between 1858 and 1869, and when finally opened it would play a crucial role in British trade. By 1875, Britain had become a significant shareholder (thanks largely to the Egyptian viceroy, Ismail Pasha, being forced to sell his own holding to relieve debts), and in 1888 the Convention of Constantinople formally declared the Canal to be a neutral zone under British protection. During the same period, Egypt had become a popular tourist destination for the British.

Michael Brooke

*This film is included in the BFI DVD compilation 'R.W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908', with music by Stephen Horne and optional commentary by Ian Christie.

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