Apaches (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apaches (film) |
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| Directed by | John Mackenzie |
| Produced by | John Arnold Leon Clore |
| Written by | Neville Smith |
| Studio | Graphic Films Central Office of Information |
| Distributed by | British Film Institute |
| Release date(s) | 1977 |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Apaches is a special film made in the United Kingdom in 1977. It is known as a public information film, which means it was created to teach people important lessons. This film was produced by Graphic Films for the Central Office of Information (COI) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The movie was shown a lot in schools across Britain. It was also seen in Canada, Australia, and the United States. The film is 26 minutes long and focuses on the serious dangers children can face on farms. It was filmed in February 1977 on a farm in the Home Counties. The child actors were chosen from a school in Maidenhead.
The film was directed by John Mackenzie. Neville Smith wrote the story, and John Arnold and Leon Clore produced it.
Apaches tells the story of six young friends: Kim, Sharon, Michael, Danny, Tom, and Robert. They live in a village and love to play on a nearby farm. While playing, they pretend to be "Apache warriors," which is where the film gets its title. The film shows how dangerous farm environments can be if children are not careful. It is narrated by Danny, one of the characters.
What Happens in Apaches?
The film begins with several children playing on a farm. A tea party is being prepared nearby. As the farmer drives his tractor through a field, Kim jumps onto the trailer. She pretends the tractor is a wagon train. The tractor turns, and Kim falls off, getting seriously hurt. Back at school, the teacher removes Kim's name tag from a storage peg. This shows the sad outcome of the accident.
Later, the children play in the fields again while their parents go to the tea party. The boys want to play football, but they decide to play kick the can instead. While hiding from Danny, Tom tries to balance on a fence next to a slurry pit. He falls into the pit. No one hears his calls for help, and he faces a very serious accident. The village children get a day off from school because of what happened to Tom. The teacher then clears items from Tom's desk.
As their parents get ready for a children's party, the kids play games, first as cavalry and then as Apaches. After their game, they go into an equipment shed. They find a bottle with an unknown chemical inside. Danny suggests they drink it to celebrate. Michael warns that it might be dangerous, possibly Paraquat. They talk about whether it is poisonous. They decide to pretend to drink it, but Sharon accidentally swallows some. She seems okay at first, but later she becomes very sick. In the middle of the night, she wakes up in great pain, calling for her mother. In the next scene, her mother is seen clearing out Sharon's empty bedroom. Danny wonders why adults drink, and his parents pour whisky from a bottle that looks just like the chemical bottle.
The remaining children play in the fields. Michael almost gets hit by a tractor, just like Kim. As they pretend to be characters from Starsky and Hutch, Michael accidentally knocks over a heavy iron gate. The gate falls on Robert, causing a severe injury. The two remaining children are shocked as more people arrive for the party. Danny goes off by himself to find other children. He finds farm workers on their break. Danny asks to sit on their tractor. They agree, telling him to be careful. He pretends to drive a racing car, but he accidentally releases the handbrake. The tractor crashes into a ditch, and Danny is badly hurt. His parents are very sad in his empty bedroom.
Danny's funeral is shown, and the vicar speaks. The mourners then go to the wake. Danny continues to narrate the story even after the accident. He talks calmly about his family arriving for the "party" that was being prepared earlier. Michael, who is Danny's cousin, is the only child who avoided serious accidents. Danny had called Michael "daft," but Michael was the most careful. Danny's voice fades as he sadly says he wishes he could have gone to the party.
The film ends with a list of real children who were hurt or lost their lives in actual farm accidents in the year before the film was made. This shows how important farm safety is.
Cast
- Robbie Oubridge as Danny
- Ian Scrace as Michael
- Wayne Tapsfield as Robert
- Sharon Smart as Sharon
- Fion Smith as Tom
- Louise O'Hara as Kim
Home Viewing
Apaches was made available to watch at home by the BFI in 2010. It was part of a DVD collection called COI Collection Vol 4: Stop! Look! Listen!, which included other public information films like Building Sites Bite. The film was also later included on a Blu-ray collection called The Best of the COI.
Images for kids
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The official poster for the film Apaches.
