Apaches (1977)

Apaches is the title of a Public Information Film (PIF) made in the United Kingdom in 1977. Produced by the Central Office of Information (COI) for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was shown extensively in the Southern, Westward and Anglia regions, before being shown either on film or videocassette in primary schools. It was shot on 16mm film at a Home Counties farm in February 1977. The 26-minute-long film deals with the subject of the dangers to children on farms, and has been seen in schools all over Britain, as well as Canada, Australia and the United States. The timeframe of the film is somewhat confusing, giving a surreal feeling to the events portrayed. The film was directed by John Mackenzie, written by Neville Smith and produced by John Arnold and Leon Clore. Apaches is now one of the most notorious public information films of all time.

The film, which dovetails the narrative conventions of the western with PIFs, follows the misadventures of a group of six young children (Kim, Sharon, Michael, Danny, Tom and Robert) in a rural British village, who enjoy playing on a nearby farm. Throughout the film the children play at being "Apache warriors", hence the film's title. All but one die in various shocking accidents, largely due to the children's carelessness, suggesting that the children would still be alive if they had known what dangers lay ahead. Other commentators have suggested, however, that the adults were also responsible, as they appear several times and do not attempt to stop the children. It is narrated in-character by Danny (Robbie Oubridge).

Synopsis

Several children play on a farm while a tea party is prepared. As the farmer drives his tractor through the field where the children are playing, While her friends follow behind, Kim jumps up onto the trailer, pretends the tractor is a train, and shoots at it. The tractor makes a turn, and she falls off and is run over, to the horror of the other children. At their school, the teacher removes Kim's name tag from a storage peg.