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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1918 Vision of Kenean Buel
Witnessing the stylistic transformation of cult through Doing Their Bit reveals the global recognition that Kenean Buel garnered after the release of Doing Their Bit. Serving as a mirror to the anxieties of a changing world, offering layers of thematic complexity that demand repeated viewing.
In Doing Their Bit, Kenean Buel pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
| Cinematography | Handheld |
| Soundtrack | Experimental |
| Editing | Invisible |
| Art Direction | Kitsch |
Visualizing the convergence of Kenean Buel's style and the core cult narrative.
Little Kate and Janie O'Dowd are sent to their wealthy American uncle, Michael O'Dowd, after their Irish father loses his life on a World War I battlefield. Having been locked accidentally into O'Dowd's munitions plant one evening, the children catch sight of their intoxicated cousin Miles O'Dowd admitting two men into the factory. The girls recognize the two as spies they had seen on the boat to America sending signals to a German submarine. After the spies knock Miles cold, the children trap them in a die-stamping machine until help arrives. Miles and factory worker Jerry Flynn, who loves young Patricia O'Dowd, enlist and are soon joined by Alfred Vanderspent, whose wealthy mother's plot to falsify his birth records is foiled by the children.
Decades after its release, Doing Their Bit remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Kenean Buel's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.