People’s Century (Parts 16-18)

Synopsis

A history of 20th century in 26 parts as seen from the point of view of the ordinary people who have lived through the events. Includes interviews and extensive archive footage.
16: The fight against official racism in South Africa and the southern USA. South Africans discuss apartheid in the 1950s, the pass laws and the repression, including the 1960 Sharpville massacre. Americans who worked for the desegregation of schools, buses and restaurants remember the progress of the 1960s and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
17 (producer: Max Whitby): The cost of the growing consumer society was polluted water and air, dying forests, disappearing wildlife and mystery illnesses. Victims of the Minamata Bay mercury pollution in Japan and industrial accidents describe how they were affected. People eventually demanded new controls, and environmental concerns entered the world of politics.
18 (producer: James deVinney): Within a few years of its launch, television took over from cinema and radio as the main source of entertainment and news and brought about a new advertising economy and changes in the political process. Three generations tell how television has touched their lives; an American couple tell how they relied on television for news of their son taken hostage during th 1972 Munich Olympics.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 165 min.

Year of production

1996

Availability

out of distribution

Notes

Broadcast on BBC1 from 20/10/96.

Documentation

Accompanying book available separately.

Subjects

History

Keywords

apartheid; civil rights movements; environmental issues; history of the 20th century; pollution; race relations; social history; South Africa; television broadcasting; United States of America

Credits

Producer

James DeVinney; Max Whitby

Contributor

Peter Pagnamenta

Sections

Title

1957: skin deep

Synopsis

16: The fight against official racism in South Africa and the southern USA. South Africans discuss apartheid in the 1950s, the pass laws and the repression, including the 1960 Sharpville massacre. Americans who worked for the desegregation of schools, bus

Title

1959: endangered planet

Synopsis

17 (producer: Max Whitby): The cost of the growing consumer society was polluted water and air, dying forests, disappearing wildlife and mystery illnesses. Victims of the Minamata Bay mercury pollution in Japan and industrial accidents describe how they w

Title

1951: picture power

Synopsis

18 (producer: James deVinney): Within a few years of its launch, television took over from cinema and radio as the main source of entertainment and news and brought about a new advertising economy and changes in the political process. Three generations te

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Home Video

 

Available from retail outlets