The Moving Past: 100 Years of Working Class Life Through Film

Between 1917 and 1936 the Governments of Ontario and Canada produced hundreds of films on various subjects like farming techniques, industrial technology, vacations for the wealthy and “appropriate” workplace behaviour, among others. The Ontario Motion Picture Bureau, (OMPB) made educational films for “farmers, school children, factory workers and other classes”. The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, (CGMPB) advertised “Canada’s scenic attractions, agricultural resources and industrial development.”

Today these films provide a rare glimpse at how work, industry, gender, and class was understood and promoted by the state over 100 years ago. The narratives in the films avoided overt discussions of politics. Unions are invisible in these films, though they feature industries where unions were militant and active. Similarly, protests of any kind do not appear, yet in their absence, they have much to say about workplace struggle.

Several of these historical films have been restored via The Moving Past, a film restoration and history project. Join us as we watch a selection of films that address labour, indigenous land use, gender, and social class in the 1920’s. We’ll also be hearing from the curator of the project, David Sobel, on the history behind the films, the project’s origins and why resources such as these are so invaluable for those of us trying to understand the past while we struggle for a better world today.

Cost: FREE. This and all other LPSSE events are open to all and presented free-of-charge. If you are able and would like to help ensure we can continue providing radical and accessible educational programming, we invite you to support the school via monthly contribution.

David Sobel has worked on labour issues since the 1980s, for various unions. He co-authored, Working at Inglis: The Life and Death of a Canadian Factory in 1994. He joined the Ministry of Labour in 2000 and retired from the civil service in 2020.

Accessibility

The venue will be wheelchair accessible and reachable by TTC. Participants are asked to refrain from wearing fragrances. The evening's programs will feature a number of silent films accompanied by music. There will also be a live talk and discussion following the films.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding accessibility, please get in touch with us!