LP Film Club legend Tony Duckering

OL Peter Bloch wrote in with his belated tribute to Tony Duckering: Tony was a legendary Leighton Park Geography teacher, a House master but the greatest number of anecdotes are about his Film Club. It launched a passion for film and future careers in the film industry for many Old Leightonians; a huge number of the students were members.

“I was listening to a conversation between three parents on their educational priorities. One talked about the need to help kids find a place in the world, another about finding out who they wanted to be. I thought, as I have done many times, about the profound influence my house master, Tony Duckering, had on me during my formative years.
So how does Godard play into this story?

Tony was what we at the time described as a film freak, and every week he would get a film (or several short films) from the British Film Institute and show them to a small group of boys who were interested. These were not your mainstream fodder; he selected off-beat, independent films….I remember The Night Mail, Un Chien Andalou and – yes — films by Jean-Luc Godard. The informal screenings were usually followed by discussion and debate.

Many years later I ran into Tony on a train and was able to tell him about the impact he had had on me. About how I had organized the first International Festival of Avant Garde Cinema at the NFT, and the first showcase of independent video at the Serpentine Gallery. I went on to set up a multimedia company in Santa Monica, CA, which produced award-winning “edutainment” programs for the likes of Sony, Philips and McGraw Hill.

So, Tony, if you are reading this, wherever you are: thank you! And as I look back over my 50+ year career I can honestly say that you influenced my direction more than any other single person.”