This film is part of Free
Australia at War
A film full of contrasts captures Australia at a pivotal point in its history: under threat from Japan at home, but pledging to defend the British Empire and the Crown abroad.
Overview
Australian troops in their distinctive slouch hats, are cheered through the streets by crowds of well-wishing onlookers, as they march off to the docks, bound for the war in the Mediterranean. This issue of March of Time is packed with images from a time when Australia’s identity was at a crossroads, shots of sheep-shearing and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are familiar to the point of cliche, but a pair of women in thick overcoats in a tea-shop look as if they could be sheltering from an English winter.
This film champions the pioneering spirit of a country rich in raw materials and independent, but loyal to the Empire. Shots of girls in science lessons, men shearing sheep, engineers in factories, and the Australian armed forces, in their distinctive new uniforms, show a modern Commonwealth nation, uniting against the fear of Japanese aggression in the South Pacific. The film, which was made in March 1941, also shows a nation at a crossroads: by December of that year, the Japanese had captured Malaya and Singapore. When it became clear that the UK could not lend more military aid, Australia turned to the USA for help, and that unquestioning loyalty to Britain, repeatedly emphasised here, was gone forever.
Related
Victory Parade Victory Parade
Documentary 1946 21 mins
Soldiers from the far reaches of the British Empire arrive in London to take part in the official commemoration of the end of war in Europe.
Commonwealth Foundation Commonwealth Foundation
Government sponsored film 1969 12 mins Location: Brixton
Beach, church and carnival – Chief Inspector of Brixton Police sent to Trinidad to learn about West Indian customs.
Child Child
Documentary 1947 18 mins Silent
Advice for village families on raising children to become strong, healthy citizens
Carnival Fantastique Carnival Fantastique
Documentary 1960 18 mins
Vibrant documentary that captures Trinidad's famous street carnival in 1960.
Messages from Bhupen Khakhar Messages from Bhupen Khakhar
Documentary 1983 37 mins
"Good taste can be very killing": personal reflections from the self-trained Indian painter.
Mauritius 1941 Mauritius 1941
Amateur film 1941 14 mins Silent
The film shows Port Louis, the capital; workers on sugar plantations and road mending as well as colonial life in the then British dependency.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.