This is much more than a film. It is journey from a rose tinted era to an era when the rose has withered and only the thorns remain. We can be seduced by a time when collective spirit saw us through a world war (not to mention countless dead lives and a dependence upon those that some political parties would like to eject from our shores, but that is another issue). How did we get to 2013? It is not one party or government’s fault. It is a combination of arrogance, ideology and a desire to cling to power. We should not fool ourselves that by supporting a political party that their supposed Opposition won’t implement almost identical policies when give a chance (by us). We are to blame must we mustn’t be too hard on ourselves. We are taught a lie and then we are served it at every opportunity by a media whose interests are to perpetuate it.
Call it propaganda. Call it what you like but we are where we are because we are lied to and expected to treat greed not as a vice but as a virtue. Selfishness is now of greater value than community in our cynical neighbourhoods and unless WE make our stand against it future generations of British people will experience what billions are already suffering elsewhere. Our in built humanity (the inherited bit that craves for friendship and security and affection) could be distorted beyond redress unless we start to make a difference now.
Douglas James
The Spirit of ’45 is ‘an impassioned documentary about how the spirit of unity which buoyed Britain during the war years carried through to create a vision of a fairer, united society. 1945 was a pivotal year in British history. The unity that carried Britain through the war allied to the bitter memories of the inter-war years led to a vision of a better society. The spirit of the age was to be our brother’s and our sister’s keeper. Director Ken Loach has used film from Britain’s regional and national archives, alongside sound recordings and contemporary interviews, to create a rich political and social narrative. The Spirit of ’45 hopes to illuminate and celebrate a period of unprecedented community spirit in the UK, the impact of which endured for many years and which may yet be rediscovered today.
“The achievements of the ’45 Labour government have largely been written out of our history. From near economic collapse we took leading industries into public ownership and established the Welfare State. Generosity, mutual support and co-operation were the watch words of the age. It is time to remember the determination of those who were intent on building a better world.”
Ken Loach – Director
