Oss Oss Wee Oss

Overview

Padstow, a fishing village on the coast of Cornwall, celebrates May Day with an ancient custom: two osses (hobby-horses) dance through the town streets accompanied by drums and accordions. All Padstownians participate in the event, which has now become a tourist attraction drawing over tens of thousands of annual visitors. Folklorists Alan Lomax and Peter Kennedy and filmmaker George Pickow collected footage at the festival in 1951, producing a pioneering work in the use of sound, low-light photography, and conversational presentation of narrative. A favorite of Margaret Mead, who used it in her classes, the film circulated widely and continues to have influence today, especially in the neo-Pagan community.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

January 2, 1953

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English

Countries

United Kingdom

Production

Folk Films,English Folk Dance and Song Society

Cast

Charlie Chilton,Charlie Bate

Director

Alan Lomax

Writer

Alan Lomax

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt1974330