COLIN JONES: THE END OF PHOTOGRAPHY
a short documentary by Frankie Caradonna
Silver Winner Short Films Category at the 1.4 One Point Four Award 2020/21
Shortlisted at Kinsale Shark Best Short Documentary
selected by NOWNESS PICKS
reviewed by LBB ONLINE
reviewed by SHOTS
reviewed by The Stable
This revealing documentary short delves into the world of ballet dancer-turned-legendary photojournalist Colin Jones, and one of the most significant voices of post-war Britain, as the man himself takes us on a tour through some of his work.
“It was while I was interrogating myself on the meaning of photography as art, especially in terms of photojournalism, that I met Colin Jones,” says Frankie Caradonna, a London-based artist and visual storyteller. “Things often happen for a reason.”
Born in London in 1936, Colin Jones had an unorthodox trajectory into photography. Coming from a working-class home in the East End and also training with the English National Ballet, Jones went on to become a documentary photographer for The Observer, alongside Magnum greats like Don McCullen and Ian Berry. During his career he also shot iconic portraits of British rock band The Who and musicians Mick Jagger and Pete Townsend.
His life-story is fascinating: a dyslexic child of the Blitz thrust into a glamorous world with the Royal Ballet, where he danced with Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, who became one of Britain’s greatest reportage photographers. Colin was living a globetrotting life of privilege when at a lunch party organised for the dancers by the Philippines dictator’s wife, Imelda Marcos, he witnessed an event that was to change his perspective on life: a shanty town being burned to the ground. Having left the Royal Ballet, Jones was hired by the Observer Magazine and set off a series of adventures. Colin travelled the world photographing stories such as the Alabama Race Riots, the Brazilian gold mines, gangs in Jamaica, sex trade in the Philippines, women chain gangs in Arizona, African Pygmies, the boy soldiers of the Khmer Rouge, the Cargo Cults of the New Hebrides who worshipped Prince Phillip, and many other groundbreaking stories.
COLIN JONES: THE END OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Credits
directed by Frankie Caradonna
written by Rob Curry and Frankie Caradonna
directed by Frankie Caradonna
cinematography by Andrea Scaringella
music by James O'Connell
executive producer Rob Curry
producer Lucy Bell
producer Francesco Molteni
Special Thanks to
Stephen Sharples
Robin Bell
Krishna Premdas