U of T Media Commons: Streaming Film & Video from Home
Features dozens of streaming platforms accessible via UTORid login. Includes blockbuster feature films, documentaries, and educational videos. Sites of special interest for IRHR researchers include:
Docuseek"Docuseek streams essential independent, social-issue and environmental films to colleges and universities, providing exclusive access to content from renowned leaders in documentary film distribution." Features a wide variety of documentaries on topics including: Labor History, Labor Studies, Business and Economics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Trade Unions, and more.
The Film Platform"An innovative collaboration between leading filmmakers and film distributors from around the world bringing the finest documentary films to an academic audience. Our global selection of films includes many Oscar nominated documentaries and film festival winners." Includes titles such as "Inequality for All" (2013), "Poverty, Inc" (2014), "Food Chains" (2014), and "CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap" (2015).
Alexander Street - Academic Video OnlinePro-Quest service featuring dozens of film and documentary collections. Collections of note for IRHR researchers include: American History, World History, Border and Migration Studies, Business Education, and Environmental Issues.
Kanopy"We stream thoughtful entertainment to your preferred device with no fees and no commercials by partnering with public libraries and universities." Includes feature films as well as documentaries. Subject collections with IRHR titles include: Business, Human Rights, Modern History, Politics & Current Affairs.
Socialism on Film"This collection of films from the communist world reveals war, history, current affairs, culture and society as seen through the socialist lens. It spans most of the twentieth century and covers countries such as the USSR, Vietnam, China, Korea, much of Eastern Europe, the GDR, Britain and Cuba." This collection features a sub-section dedicated to Work & Industry in 20th century socialist countries.
Sage Video"SAGE Video showcases highly relevant educational video across key social, behavioral, and health science disciplines. Each collection includes a breadth of video types to support diverse learning and research needs. All videos are fully citeable with searchable transcripts, custom clip creation, embedding, and include other video player features that make implementing video into the classroom and for independent use, user-friendly and easily accessible." Sub-collections include: Business & Management, Leadership, Political Science & International Relations.
Media Commons Archival Collections
The Archival Research Collections are available at Media Commons for on-campus use only.
National Film Board of Canada
"The National Film Board (NFB) is a public agency that produces and distributes films and other audiovisual works which reflect Canada to Canadians and the rest of the world." You will be using use the U of T Library catalogue to access these resources. The NFB maintains a specific subsection of 60 films about Work and Labour Relations which include topics such as: Child Labour, Technological Change, Strikes, Labour Relations, and more.
Titles include:
The Coca-Cola Case"Columbia is the trade union murder capital of the world. Since 2002, more than 470 workers’ leaders have been brutally killed, usually by paramilitaries hired by private companies intent on crushing the unions. Among these unscrupulous corporate brands is the poster boy for American business: Coca-Cola."
Growing Up Canadian: Work"From working six days a week in a factory to serving up sundaes at the Dairy Queen on weekends, Canadian children have done it all. In the first half of the century many families couldn't get by without financial help from their kids. The nation counted on its young when it came to wartime; from joining up to fight to tucking a love note in a scarf knit for an unknown soldier, witnesses recall their contributions. ... Work is one of a 6-part series entitled Growing Up Canadian. These documentaries explore the myths and realities of Canadian childhood through family life, schooling, work, play, health and the media."
The Hasty Man Drinks His Tea with a Fork"A blend of drama and documentary, this film follows several people caught up in the turmoil of the modern world. The drama centres on a woman who has burned out and who holds up her own despair – and her attempts to rebuild her life – as a mirror to the rest of us. With a blend of gravity and humour, Sylvie Groulx's film shows the absurdity of a society dedicated to the cult of speed at all costs."
WAL-TOWN The Film"In this feature documentary, 6 student activists visit 36 Canadian towns to take on one giant corporation. Filmed over 2 summers, these young crusaders (plus a gonzo journalist) try to raise public awareness about Wal-Mart's business practices and their effect on cities and towns across Canada. With youthful passion and often hilarious cultural jams, this film takes us to the frontlines of the ongoing debate over the company's increasing dominance in the Canadian retail market."
Where You Goin' Company Town?"This short documentary examines the changing relations between labour and management in the long-established company town of Trail, BC, in which 90% of the workforce is employed by Cominco, the world’s largest lead-zinc smelter. The metal workers in the town are outspoken about the health risks associated with their line of work, and a debate about unionization ensues. The days of paternalistic management are gone, and the emphasis is now on participation and involvement. An eventual strike over dissatisfaction with labour relations turns violent when management, union executives, and workers clash over competing interests."
Labour Film database
The Labor Film Database lists thousands of films and videos, searchable by title, director, actors and/or keywords (see search window at right). We’ve also categorized the database (at right, below “Categories”) and you can check out our tag cloud (also at right) to make it easier to find films and videos about the topics you’re interested in. Many of the entries also include trailers, film stills and distributor contact info.
Some of the Labor Film Databases titles are also available for online viewing, these include:
From the Land of Gandhi"A story of 4 high-skilled immigrants from India, a decade after they came to study in the United States, which places a human face to high-skilled immigration. The film also highlights the need for reforming America’s legal immigration at a time of intense globalization and retirement of the baby boomers."
Life on the Line"After a family tragedy, Beau Ginner rises to be foreman in a Texas lineman team, upgrading overhead power cables and preventing disasters. However, there is friction when his college-bound niece Bailey’s on-off boyfriend Duncan joins the crew, while another new recruit is hiding PTSD symptoms."
Prescription for Change"Traditionally female, underpaid and under-appreciated. This documentary presents a rare behind-the-scenes look at nursing. Produced over ten years ago – before prime-time’s ER and CHICAGO HOPE – this documentary has a clear feminist perspective and continues to be refreshing and relevant."
The Price of Free"The story of how Kailash Satyarthi launched a built a global movement to rescue children from slavery."
Stranger With A Camera"In the coal-mining heart of Appalachia’s 'poverty belt,' where residents have felt alternately aided and assaulted by media exposure, the 1967 murder of filmmaker Hugh O’Connor still stirs strong community feelings."
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