Race in the Twentieth Century

Synopsis

Three programmes presenting historical film in context.
1: Explores how British films in the 1930s promoted the cause of Empire, and how the 1940s documentary and newsreel films began to express an anti-Empire message as a prelude to the end of Empire.
2: Looks at immigration and at the films made to recruit workers to come to Britain to meet the demands for labour in the post-war economy. Includes extracts from early television programmes which exposed many of the tensions created by the presence of immigrants in Britain, awakening many people to what was then called the ‘colour bar’.
3: Focuses on civil rights in the United States. Inthe first half of the century, film captured the way of life in deeply segregationist southern states of the US. From the mid-1950s, film and television helped to spread the campaign for civil rights, bringing international sympathy and support for the cause.

Series

History in Action, Series

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 60 min.

Year of production

2000

Availability

Sale; 2000 sale: £14.90 (+VAT +p&p)

Notes

Broadcast weekly on Channel 4, beginning 18 Nov 2000

Documentation

Programme notes at URL: http://www.channel4.com/school/netnotes

Uses

Secondary schools.

Subjects

History; Media studies

Keywords

British Empire; civil rights movements; immigration; newsreel films; propaganda films; race relations; United States of America

Sponsor

Name

Channel Four Television

Phone

071-396 4444

Address

LONDON
SW1P 2TX

Distributor

Name

4 Learning

Notes

Channel 4 Learning has now closed. This used to be the educational broadcasting arm of Channel 4. The online shop sold educational DVDs and CD-ROMs for use in primary and secondary schools.