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One Million Unemployed in Winter 1971
A film on unemployment, which was made to be shown at Claimants Union meetings.
Overview
A film on unemployment which invites the spectator to resist capitalism and the consumption society, made by Mike Dunford, who was unemployed at the time, with the intention of providing a catalyst for discussion at Claimants Union meetings. One long shot of people standing outside the Labour Exchange is interrupted every four seconds with images of prosperity: wealth-consumer goods, Rolls Royces driving down streets. On the soundtrack, an unemployed man speaks about his situation and the difficulties he faces.
Founded in 1966, the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative started life at Better Books, a counter-culture bookshop on Charing Cross Road, where a group led by poet Bob Cobbing and filmmakers Stephen Dwoskin and Jeff Keen met to screen films. Initially inspired by the activities of the New American Cinema Group in New workshop, cinema space and distribution office. During its four-decade history, the Co-op played a crucial role in establishing film as an art form in the UK and participated in a vibrant international film scene. This BFI Player collection brings together new scans of films distributed by and/or produced at the London Co-op.
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