"Which Side Are You On?" - The Strike in Cinema

Serious Topics

Films and series are not politically neutral. They convey values, reflect social conflicts and invite us to question established power relations. During this film lecture, film critic Viviane Thill analyses, through a selection of excerpts, the representation of strikes and social struggles in cinema. From Sergei Eisenstein’s Strike (1925) to Stéphane Brizé’s At War (2018), via Salt of the Earth (1954) and Harlan County, USA (1976), she traces the evolution of the representation of labour conflicts over the past century. The lecture highlights the perspectives of workers, social justice issues, and the importance of solidarity and collective action. It also proposes analysing the films’ narrative and aesthetic techniques within their historical, political and social context. Participants will discover major works in film history and approaches for analysing films in the classroom, developing students’ critical thinking when faced with images, and reflecting on the challenges of media education, democracy and citizenship. This conference is organised by the Chamber of Employees (CSL) and the Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB). A limited number of places is reserved for teaching staff. Teachers registered via IFEN will receive a certificate of participation. Lecture (in French with possible translation into German) accompanied by film excerpts Opportunity for discussion at the end of the lecture