Hands Off Student Unions (1972, 33 mins)
A film supporting the students’ out to preserve the autonomy of their union from the conditions of state control embodied in Thatcher’s education proposals. The film captures footage of demonstrations in Oxford, Birmingham and Brighton, student activists, students debating the nature of education in late capitalist society, a solidarity speech by Clive Jenkins and an interview with French Trotskyist leader Alain Krivine from May 1968.
Arise Ye Workers (The Dockers Fight) (1974-75, 25 mins)
A film supporting dockers’ protests against redundancy, lay-offs and wage cuts caused by containerisation, charting ruthless rationalisation, profiteering and land speculation, police harassment of pickets and the enforcement of the Industrial Relations Act by the arrest and jailing of the Pentonville 5. The film documents dockers successfully calling on Fleet Street printworkers to strike in solidarity and the release of the five jailed dockers.
Part of So That You Can Live: The Oppositional Films of Cinema Action
Also showing as part of this season: Early Shorts (1969-1970), Films from the Clyde, People of Ireland, The Miners' Film, So That You Can Live
With thanks to Chris Reeves at Platform Films
Presented by Wavelength
F: facebook.com/wavelengthdocs
T: @wavelengthdocs
dir. Cinema Action
year: 1972, 1974-75
country: UK
total run-time: 55 minutes
Doors 5pm
Film 5:30pm
£6.00 (£4.50 conc.)
“Independent cinema in Britain is unthinkable without the achievements of the innovative film collective Cinema Action”