     |
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  May-Jun 2008        |
|
Drama, Art, Film & Fiction
Films & videosDuring the dark days of Australia's McCarthyism in the fifties, the Sydney Branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation (now the MUA) broke new ground in labour history, recruiting painters, filmmakers & actors into its ranks. Between 1953 and 1958 the WWF film unit produced its own short films. Theatre workers Norma Disher, waterside workers, Keith Gow and Jock Levy were the driving force, with veteran actor and voice over artist Leonard Teale (of Homicide fame) providing the narration. They produced 10 films, funded and made for the union. The films screened for union audiences and at Film Festivals, explore aspects of working class, particularly waterfront life. They have since been recognised as a great contribution to Australian documentary film making, finding their way into many recent television productions and films, including last year's award winning Mabo documentary. Film historians Graham Shirely and Brian Adams in Australian Cinema: The First Eighty Years said: "... in the midst of the Cold War conservatism, the unit produced... documentaries expressing radical viewpoints... as films which passionately cared about their subjects and as works of cinema, the unit's projects show a consistency of vision that no other local documentary producers of the period were able to match..." The MUA holds copyright and permission to use the film must be obtained from the union first. Copyright clearance fees apply. Fax Robin, (02) 92613481 for details. Original 16mm masters are preserved & can be viewed at the Australian Film Archives. A more recent video WHARFIES co-written by Keith Gow, a member of the original WWF Film Unit, is fittingly dedicated to the unit and the federation members past & present. Wharfies is a 52 minute chronological film history of the WWF from its formation in 1902 in the primitive days of hard, physical, exploited labour, to the mechanised, computerised 's. The film develops the Federation's history in the context of Australian political and social history. Wherever possible, archival footage has been used, going back to the trenches of WWI, and the general strike of 1917. Dramatic reconstruction of events using professional actors is also used. The film makers interviewed former wharfies to record their oral history, with memories back to the 1920s, recollections still tinged with anger and bitterness, but a history recalled with passion, humour, dignity and pride. WHARFIES is distributed by Oceania Media Network & includes a study guide for schools.
PO Box 1391, GPO Other Drama, Art, Film & Fiction articles:About Us index |
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
    |
This page: http://mua.org.au/aboutus/drama.html Site proudly designed and engineered by Social Change Online |
© 2001 Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) |
