They Also Serve

Wartime public information film.

The problem of slum dwellings in the 1930s.

The challenge of what to feed her family weighs on the mind of hard-pressed Mrs Bond in this surreal wartime film made for the Ministry of Food.

Two case studies highlighting the work of the National Council of Social Service: the conversion of a barn into a village hall in South Cerney, Gloucestershire, and the building of an occupational centre in the depressed mining village of Pentre in the Rhondda Valley, Wales.

Oil arrives at the Ayrshire end of the Firth of Clyde: this fine documentary tells the story of the process, and of oil’s use to power Scotland’s industries. Informative throughout and at times very evocative, it was directed by Ruby Grierson, too often overshadowed by her brother John, ‘the father of British documentary’, but a good filmmaker in her own right, who was killed during WWII.

A WWII film about children evacuated from Britain and sent to Canada for their safety. The film begins in England with children seeking shelter as anti-aircraft guns roar outside. On their arrival in Canada, they are thrilled by the brightly lit cities, powerful Canadian trains, hot dogs and ice cream. They find, too, that instead of becoming Mounties or cowboys, they have to go to school. The closing sequence shows them learning to ski and skate and preparing for Christmas in their new homes.