A Century of Struggle

A Century of Struggle

1981 · 40 min · Documentary

A Century of Struggle chronicles the hundred-year history of the NZ Seamen’s Union from its formation in 1879. Using original film and archive footage, it examines the working lives of seamen and the battles fought by their union from the sailing ships of colonial days to the modern turbine-powered container vessels. Because the Seamen’s Union was frequently at the forefront of working-class struggle in New Zealand, its story involves most of the crucial issues and events in the history of the union movement generally, including the great maritime strikes of 1890 and 1913 and the waterfront dispute of 1951.

Directed by Alister Barry · Written by Rod Prosser

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A Century of Struggle

The Hollow Men

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The Hollow Men

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Race for the Yankee Zephyr · 1981

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MovieActionAdventure

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MovieDocumentary

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MovieDocumentaryWar

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MovieFamilyWestern

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MovieDocumentary

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MovieDocumentary

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MovieDocumentary

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Wildcat: The Struggle for Democracy in the New Zealand Timberworkers' Union · 1981

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MovieDocumentary

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MovieDocumentary

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MovieDocumentary

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MovieDocumentary

This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastover's refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television in 2004.

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