Surviving Edged Weapons

Dennis Anderson's 1988 production is a video made for police training. It sets out how to act against attacks with knives. The material is built from staged scenarios. Attack situations are played one after another and each ends badly; the narrative teaches vigilance by enlarging the threat. Over the years the video travelled outside its own context and drew separate attention for its overblown tone. The picture and performances belong to the training tapes of the period. Who it's for: those curious about the history of instructional film and period material. Who it's not for: viewers looking for cinema; this is not a fiction film.