Iris Barry: Both Sides Now

Iris Barry's life and legacy as a writer and curator are explored by Laura Marcus and Elaine Burrows.

There’s a Chagall sketch of Iris Barry which has her split in two, both homely and head-scarved and sharp-suited. It reflects some male ambivalence about women in the world of work, but also captures the subject’s multi-faceted nature. This event will use film clips and discussion to piece together a remarkable life’s work.

Laura Marcus, Goldsmith’s Professor of English at New College Oxford, will focus on Barry’s film journalism and her role in the London Film Society. Elaine Burrows was a curator at the National Film and Television Archive for many years, and will put in context the pioneering preservation work Barry did at MOMA in New York.