Kes
(DVD or VCD) 

From the book "A kestrel for a knave" by Barry Hines.

Originally produced as a British motion picture in 1969.

Photography, Chris Menges ; editor, Roy Watts ; art director, William McCrow ; music composed and conducted by John Cameron ; wardrobe, Daphne Dare.

David Bradley (Billy), Colin Welland (Mr. Farthing), Lynne Perrie (Mrs. Casper), Freddie Fletcher (Jud), Brian Glover (Mr. Sugden), Bob Bowes (Mr. Gryce), and the staff and pupils of St. Helen's County Secondary School, Barnsley.

Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working class Yorkshire boy, is a scrappy loner who delivers papers before and after school, shares a bed with his bullying brother, Jud, and mostly ignores his self-absorbed mother. His routine is derailed when he spots a small falcon, a kestrel, in the countryside. He's raised birds in the past and is inspired to capture a young kestrel and try his hand at falconry. When not enduring the scorn of his peers and "betters," Billy wanders the countryside, pokes about the town, and secretively trains his kestrel, where his intelligence and imagination are as free as the bird. Because ever present in Billy's mind is fear and hatred of the pit--the local mine where he is destined to spend his adult life digging coal.

MPAA rating: Rated PG-13 for language, nudity and some teen smoking.

DVD; Region 1, NTSC; Dolby Digital mono.; widescreen presentation, preserving the 1.66 :1 aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition, enhanced for 16:9 televisions.

In English with optional English SDH, (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing).

Winner, 1971 BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor--Colin Welland; Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles--David Bradley.