The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

7G T H E C 1 N E T E C HKICIAN July— October, 194S i FIRST BRITISH TRADE UNION FILM For a long while A.C.T. has been urging the Labour and Trade Union Movement to make a greater use of films. Jt has developed a useful distribution and exhibition organisation under the Workers' Film Association but (ill now has [ought shj of film production. There have been one or two half-hearted efforts about which the least said the better. Now a real start lias been made with the Amalgamated Engineering Union as the tivsi British Trade Union to sponsor a professional film. Unity js Strength " has been produced In World Wide as part of the A.E.U. Silver Jubilee Programme. It is an excellent beginning and should do much to encourage other Trade Unions to follow suit. Although the A.E.U. is only 25 years old, the unions of which it is an amalgamation go back over a hundred years. In fact the first national union of engineering workers was formed in 1826. The film takes us back to those carh days, shows us some of the early pioneers and the early struggles of tic organised engineers including the fight lor the 9-hour day in 1871 and the struggle for the H-hour day twenty-six years later. 'Idle contribution ol the engineers to the recent war is graphi The branch initiation ceremony callv recorded. Particularly interesting is the picture of the day-to-day working of the union, how policy is determined, how the various committees work from the shop right up to the National Committee, and how fhe whole machinery ol the union is devised to protect the interests and rights of tic members. Finalh , we see an actual branch meeting complete with tic initiation ceremony. The ceremonial attached to the admission ol new members to tic A.E.U. is one of the most impressive functions in the British Trade Union Movement. The film reproduces it with line dramatic effect . The unit on " Unity Is Strength " This is a broad canvas for a half-hour film hut Ralph Bond, the director, ha su< ceeded in getting the story over vividlx and without pat There are few better stories i > tell than the history of the British Trade Unions. At lasi a start ] been made. It is a good start. Great credit s to the A.E.U. for being the pioneers. We m also he grateful to World Wide and it technicians for show ing so admirably how such subjects can be tackled. A few small blemishes — forced humour, for example — but on the whole a grand job. □ W.F.A. FILM SCHOOL The Sixth Annual Film School oi the Workers Film Association is being held from September 22nd to 28th at Eigheliffe Eall Hotel, Cliftonville, Kent. As usual. A.C.T. members figure prominently in the list ol lecturers, and il is hoped that as in the past other A.C.T. members will try and attend, either for the week-end or the full week. The school is being opened 1>\ Prof. Harold Laski, and the lecturers include : Sidney 1.. Bernstein. Basil Dearden, Dr. Ernesl Meyer, Man Field, ( ieolTny Bell and I ri I I '.Bill. \ copj of the programme and further details nun be obtained from Th ■ Workers Film Association Ltd., Tran-] <t i ETonse, Smith Square, S.W.I.