Representations of Labour: Images of Work and Workers in Film

Focusing on the visual representation of labour, this paper explores dimensions of memory in films about labour and labour history. Through an examination of both documentary and feature films, attention is drawn to the sensory contribution of film, through the combination of visual images of labour with the sounds of labour: the voices of workers, the sounds of work and the music of the labour movement. Also examined is how film can sustain and revive memory, and evoke place memory and body memory.