Notices

Celluloid Revolution, Workers' Film ,Strike! MUA Songs

Celluloid Revolution

"Sydney wharfies turned Australian film making on its head in 1953. With the support of the Waterside Workers' Federation they brought together other artists and workmates to make films by workers, for workers and about workers. It was the creation of the nation's first ever labour film unit. And it was nothing less than a revolution in Australian cinematic history."

-- MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin.

The National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney will host the launch of Fighting Films: A History of the Waterside Workers' Film Unit on November 19.

The book by Lisa Milner was funded by the MUA, CFMEU (Mining, Energy and Construction divisions) and the AMWU.

In the foreword Paddy Crumlin pays tribute to film unit members Keith Gow, Jock Levy and Norma Disher and to the vision of labour leaders Big Jim Healy and Tom Nelson who put them on the union payroll.

"This work is a timely reminder for all unionists of how important the films still are. They are our heritage and provide a strong foundation for the labour movement to build new and more creative forms of communication between workers. This remains as important as ever," he wrote. " Like the films themselves, this book should also be on the curriculum for any union delegate, activist or person who comprehends the value and importance of the labour movement."

Copies of Fighting Films will be available at branches and national office in November. VHS copies of the films are available to members for $15.

New film

The producers of the new Australian film, The Hon. Wally Norman, offered MUA and other Sydney union members free tickets to the premiere of their movie inspired by the Patrick lockout of 1998 - and they got a full house.

Worker Wally Norman gets locked out of the meat works by balaclava clad thugs. Not one to take things lying down, he does a Wayne Finch and runs for parliament as payback. And he gets up.

The political satire has an all-star cast: Kevin Harrington (SeaChange, The Dish), Shaun Micallef (Bad Eggs, Micallef Tonight) and H.G. Nelson (This Sporting Life, The Monday Dump, The Dream). It is directed by Ted Emery (Kath & Kim, Fast Forward, The Craic).

It opened the 2003 Sydney Film Festival and will screen nationally in cinemas from November 13.

The special advance screening exclusively for union members was on Thursday, October 16th, 6.30pm, Hoyts, Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney.

MUA Songs

With these Arms: Songs and Poems of the MUA was launched at Politics in the Pub in Katoomba, NSW in August , the Illawarra Folk Festival, Jamberoo in September and the Eighth Australian Labour History Conference, Queensland College of Art, South Bank, Brisbane, in October.

Copies of the CDs are now available to members for $10 each at all branches.

A Melbourne concerts is planned for October 30:

Singers and songwriters Peter Hicks, Tim O'Brien, Clem Parkinson and Mark Gregory will perform with the Victorian Trades Hall Choir, Trades Hall, Melbourne, 54 Victoria St (cnr Lygon St) Carlton, Thursday October 30 at 7.30pm.

Branches interested in organising concerts in their neighbourhood should contact National Office.

Strike!

Adelaide maritime workers commemorated the 75th anniversary of the 1928 wharf strike, on Sunday September 28.

This project, co-ordinated by retired branch secretary Keith Ridgeway, had a lot of community support and was a great education project for young and old. Sponsors included the ALP, the local council, CSX terminals, the SA government, the ITF, SMA, Maritime Credit Union, Media Alliance, Port Adelaide Historical Society, Maritime Museum Labor Council, Theatre groups and the MUA.

Full report next MWJ.