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Pensions For Veterans (1953)
This documentary, made by the Waterside Workers’ Federation Film Unit, advocates pensions for waterside veterans. It depicts the hardships that many workers have faced and highlights some of the health and safety concerns raised in a 1945 report on the conditions of waterside workers. Other sequences include a trip to Canberra to lobby Federal Parliament about the poor health of waterside veterans. The film uses an orchestral score and contains voice-over narration by Jock Levy, one of the filmmakers.
Download Hi-Res / Screening Version (697.8 MB)
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| Video information | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Jock Levy Norma Disher Keith Gow |
| Directed by | Jock Levy Norma Disher Keith Gow |
| Contact | write the producer |
| Home page | more info |
| Produced | Mar 12, 2011 |
| Production Company | Waterside Workers Federation Film Unit |
| Distributor | Maritime Union of Australia |
Full Description
'Surely it is this nation’s responsibility to see that these men spend their remaining years with decency and dignity … the nation owes them a debt. It is for you to see that that debt is paid’. These are the emotional closing lines of Jock Levy’s narration for Pensions for Veterans, a vivid depiction of the plight of aged waterside workers.
This film was made as part of the 1953 campaign to secure pensions for these workers after the Secretary of the Sydney Branch of the WWF, Tom Nelson, approached Levy. Levy and Keith Gow made the film based on an outline that was approved by members of the federation, and all the men who appear as extras are waterside workers or members of affiliated unions. The film was shot over four weeks and was a collaboration between Jock Levy, Keith Gow and Norma Disher who formed the Waterside Workers’ Federation Film Unit. According to the Maritime Union of Australia, this is the only union in the world with a film unit.
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