Funeral Details: Please follow the link below.

http://sites.google.com/site/daveberryfarewell/appeal  

Chapter Director, Janek Alexander recalls;

"Dave Berry was the ultimate film enthusiast and an important part of the cultural scene in Wales for some four decades.

Cinema was in his blood and his knowledge of film encyclopedic, but it was his ability to excite and enthuse people about his lifelong passion that was his special gift.

At Chapter in the 1970s he enthusiastically supported our film workshop, our film programme and a generation of Welsh filmmakers.

For the following three decades he contributed immeasurably to the understanding of film and to the insight into our world that film provides.

He researched and authored his book Wales and Cinema: The First 100 Years, and he said to me that his one regret about the 567 page publication was that there was so much he could not include for reasons of space.   

Long after he ‘retired’ he continued to do projects at Chapter and most recently he presented one of the events at the official launch of the new Chapter in November last year.  In an evening packed with hundreds of people he sought me out to speak with enthusiasm about the new cinemas and to say how he was looking forward to future projects.  

In fact right up to the last minute he was still excited about film and eager to discuss bringing archive film to children as part of our Film Academy, discussing a season of films centred on the miners’ strike in Wales and how he could smuggle himself out of hospital to chair a panel discussion after a screening of the classic 1940 feature The Proud Valley.
"Though he is no longer with us he will have inspired generations to come."

The artistic community in Wales and beyond has posted a number of fitting tributes over the last few days.

The following has been taken from the early and silent film website, The Bioscope and is a poignant tribute for those who shared his passion for cinema’s infancy:

"The lives of pioneers such as Arthur Cheetham, William Hagger and John Codman thrilled him and indeed it was very much due to his passionate engagement that such lives were rescued from obscurity.

"He has been such a part of the scenery for those in Britain who care about silent film that his loss will be felt greatly."

The full article can be read here.

Lisa Nesbitt, Director of Bafta Cymru added her own tribute;

"Dave Berry had a close association with BAFTA Cymru that stretched right back to our inception 22 years ago. He was a wonderful supporter of all things visual in Wales and his exceptional knowledge and enthusiasm for film in Wales and beyond was unparalleled. He was a universally respected, genuine and kind man and his presence in our industry will be greatly missed."

We will be posting funeral and memorial details shortly. If you would like to send tributes for inclusion on this page please email enquiry@chapter.org