90m; France
Director: Robert Guédiguian
Author Archives: iwwggrandson
A Martyr To His Cause (1911)
The first film produced by organized labor – a short AFL film defending the McNamara brothers in the case of the bombing of the Los Angeles Times
Saul Schniderman, Library of Congress: sasc@loc.gov
A New Beginning (2007)
5m; U.S.
Director: Terry Lively
A short film on the West Virginia Public Workers Union – United Electrical Workers Local 170. State, county, and municipal workers in West Virginia brought the only union controlled by the rank and file to the state in spring 2007, marking a new chapter in organizing blue and white collar government workers. Terry Lively, a member of UE Local 170, and president of the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild, began a new film about contemporary unions in the state.
A Shock to the System (1990)
91m; U.S.
Director: Jan Egleson
Cast: Michael Caine, Elizabeth McGovern
Synopsis: Focuses on office politics, featuring sneaky personalities and office traitors. It is dark and brooding.
A Time To Rise (1982)
39m; Canada
Director: Anand Patwardhan, Jim Monro
Synopsis: On April 6, 1980, the Canadian Farmworkers Union came into existence. This film documents the conditions among Chinese and East Indian immigrant workers in British Columbia that provoked the formation of the union, and the response of growers and labor contractors to the threat of unionization. Made over a period of two years, the film is eloquent testimony to the progress of the workers’ movement from the first stirrings of militancy to the energetic canvassing of union members.
Contact: http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/collection/film/?id=13589
A Union Man: The Life and Work of Julius Margolin (2005)
58m
Director: George Mann
Synopsis: Julius Margolin died shortly after his 93rd birthday. He was a legend in the New York City labor movement. He was active since the 1930s in the CIO, the National Maritime Union and Local 52 of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees, which he has represented in the NYC Central Labor Council for 34 years. A tireless fighter for justice, equality, and against war, Julius embarked on a new career in 1999, making music and CDs with George Mann while still hitting picket lines and organizing workers in New York and around the United States.
A Union Man is the story of his life through his eyes as well as those he’s met along the way. Featuring guest appearances by Utah Phillips, Faith Petric and former NMU Vice President Joe Stack, as well as concert performances, it’s an affectionate portrait of a rank-and-file activist still fighting for justice in his tenth decade on this planet.
Website: http://aunionman.com/
Contact: georgemann@att.net 212-923-6372
A Very British Coup (1988)
148m; England
Director: Mick Jackson
Synopsis: When Harry Perkins, a steel worker and third-generation socialist from Sheffield, becomes Britain’s Prime Minister, he sends shockwaves through the government, both at home and abroad.
Contact info: BBC Grafton House 379 Euston Rd. LondonNW1 3AU UK +44 20 77 65 02 51 Fax: +44 20 77 65 02 78 http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms Channel 4 Television Corporation 124 Horseferry Rd. LondonSW1P 2TX UK Phn: +44 020 7306 8333 http://www.channel4.com viewerenquiries@channel4.co.uk
A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly (1988)
70m; U.S.
Director: Jim Brown
Synopsis: Documents the lives and influences of musical folk artists Woody Guthrie and Huddie Ledbetter ( or Leadbelly).
A War in Hollywood (2008)
89m; U.S.
Director: Oriol Porta
Synopsis: A War In Hollywood is an in-depth look at the impact that the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship had on the North American film industry. Hollywood used the Civil War as a subject in more than 50 films. The defeat of democracy in Spain left an “open wound” in the heart of liberal actors, directors and screenwriters in the US, who used affection towards democratic Spain as a symbolic feature to define the romantic spirit of their characters. This sympathy, however, was shaped according to the American political tendencies of each period. This evolution is narrated through the personal story of Alvah Bessie, a Hollywood screenwriter who fought as a member of the International Brigade. This meticulous documentary includes excerpts from Casablanca, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Way We Were among others, and commentary by actress Susan Sarandon.
Contact: 510-548-6521
A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom (1996)
86m; U.S.
The Attorney General of the United States called A. Philip Randolph “the most dangerous Negro in America.” He forced President Roosevelt to integrate the armed forces, won the first-ever contract for a Black union when he organized the Pullman porters and was the moving force behind the historic 1963 March on Washington.
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