BARBARA STONE

(13 December 1934 - 17 March 2018)

London filmgoers may only know of the American producer-director Barbara Stone, who has died aged 83, from the film distribution company Cinegate that she ran with her husband David until 1986. They distributed and screened independent films at their Gate cinemas in Notting Hill, Brunswick Square and Camden. However, as a director, Barbara made Compañeras and Compañeros (1970) and other films with the Mekas brothers, Adolfas and Jonas, who she knew through their New York Film Culture magazine. She mostly produced documentaries and short films, but also worked on features including The Doctor and the Devils for director Freddie Frances, The Steal for John Hay, Unrelated for Joanna Hogg and That’s For Me for Claudia Solti. With David, who died in 2011, Barbara had four children.

MICHAEL DARVELL