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Category Archives: Transportation

Grounding: The Last Days of Swissair (2006)

21 Feb

120m; Switzerland

Director: Michael Steiner

Cast: Hanspeter Müller, Gilles Tschudi and László I. Kish

Synopsis (IMDB): The demise of airline Swissair in 2001 was a huge blow to Switzerland’s economy and to the country’s morale. It was a sad day for Swiss history when the airline’s fleet was grounded on 2 October 2001. “Grounding” is set during the last days of the doomed airline, and tells the story of manager Mario A. Corti’s unhappy fate, the last, unlucky CEO at the traditional airline company, as well as of all those nameless people who lost almost everything in the maelstrom of Swissair’s downfall: their job, home and their belief in Switzerland

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Drama, Transportation, Working Class

 

The Ghosts Of Duffy’s Cut

21 Feb

52m; Ireland

Director: Stephen Rooke & Ruan Magan

Synopsis: The story of indentured Irish workers from Duffy, Ireland, who were brought to the United States in April 1832 to build one of the earliest stretches of railroad in Pennsylvania.

Contact: http://www.tilefilms.ie/ info@tilefilms.ie Rachel Towell, Producer: rachel@tilefilms.ie

 

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Construction Trades, Documentary, Transportation, Working Class

 

Bus Rider’s Union (2000)

21 Feb

86m; U.S.

Director: Haskell Wexler

Synopsis: In this extraordinary video, Academy Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler records the several-year-long struggle of the Los Angeles Bus Riders Union (BRU) to win better service and to challenge the race and class bias in city spending priorities. At 86 minutes, it’s long for classroom use and drags in a few places for many high school students; but what a rich documentary this is. At the outset, Kikanza Ramsey, a young BRU organizer, explains that the union is “a political, social experiment to see if we can build a multiracial, bilingual, gender-balanced mass movement of working class people that is willing to fight for a set of demands that challenges corporate capital.” And this is not mere rhetoric. The remainder of the film brings her words to life, revealing the twists and turns, highs and lows of this struggle as seen through the eyes of participants.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Documentary, Organizing, Service Workers, Transportation

 

Closely Watched Trains (1966)

21 Feb

93m; Czechoslovakia

Director: Jirí Menzel

Cast: Václav Neckár, Josef Somr and Vlastimil Brodský

Synopsis: An apprentice train dispatcher at a village station seeks his first sexual encounter and becomes despondent when he is unable to perform.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Comedy, Drama, Public Sector, Romance, Transportation, Working Class

 

Collision Course (1988)

21 Feb

47m; U.S.

Director: Alex Gibney

Synopsis: A case study of Eastern Airlines tracing rise and fall of workplace cooperation that temporarily saved Eastern from bankruptcy

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Documentary, Transportation, Working Class

 

Convoy (1978)

21 Feb

100m; U.S.

Director: Sam Peckinpath

Cast: Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw and Ernest Borgnine

Synopsis: Truckers form a mile long “convoy” in support of a trucker’s vendetta with an abusive sheriff…Based on the country song of same title by C.W. McCall.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Drama, Transportation, Working Class

 

Dangerous Containers (2006)

21 Feb

6m; U.S.

Director: Firebrand Productions

Synopsis: Teamsters showing dangers on the road and lack of protection for drivers who speak out.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Documentary, Safety & Health, Transportation, Working Class

 

The Detroit Model (1980)

21 Feb

45m; U.S.

Director: Alan Levin

Synopsis: Study of the decline of the US auto industry in the 1970s and early 80s.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Documentary, Industrial/Mine/Manufacturing, Outsourcing, Transportation, Working Class

 

Edge of the City (1957)

21 Feb

85m; U.S.

Director: Martin Ritt

Cast:  John Cassavetes, Sidney Poitier and Jack Warden

Synopsis: Two New York City longshoremen Axel Nordmann, an Army deserter and Tommy Tyler, an easy-going freight car loader whose growing friendship is threatened by Charles Malik, a notably repellent punk.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Blacks, Drama, Transportation, Working Class

 

Extreme Commuting (2008)

21 Feb

28m; U.S.

Director: Andrea Bloom

Synopsis (IMDB): A driver, train rider, and cyclist each ride 90 minutes or more to get to work in Washington, DC. “Extreme Commuting” follows the daily paths of these three professionals as they negotiate their way through one of the most congested cities in the nation. Jon lives in rural Virginia and drives on busy highways into the heart of DC, a trip that often takes him two hours or more and necessitates that he do much of his work on the road. Lori rides a bus and commuter train with her friends, who provide a much needed levity during the long trip. Mark bicycles across DC, often logging extra miles to spend time with his girlfriend, who cycles to work in a different part of the city. In accompanying each of these people on their daily rides, we learn the impact extreme commuting has on their quality of life and why so many choose to make the journey.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Documentary, Transportation, White Collar

 
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