| Native Land | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Leo Hurwitz Paul Strand |
| Written by | Leo Hurwitz Ben Maddow |
| Produced by | Leo Hurwitz |
| Starring | Paul Robeson (Narrator/Vocalist) Fred Johnson |
| Cinematography | Paul Strand |
| Edited by | Lionel Berman Leo Hurwitz Bob Stebbins |
| Music by | Marc Blitzstein |
Production company | Frontier Films |
| Distributed by | Frontier Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Native Land is a 1942 docudrama film directed by Leo Hurwitz and Paul Strand. [1]
A combination of a documentary format and staged reenactments (influenced by the cinematic works of Sergei Eisenstein and Aleksandr Dovzhenko), the independently produced film depicted the struggle of trade unions against union-busting corporations, their spies and contractors. It was based on the 1938 report of the La Follette Committee's investigation of the repression of labor organizing. [2] [3]
Famous African-American singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson participated as an off-screen narrator and vocalist. [4] [5]
A restored version of the film was released in 2011. The film was restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, funded by the Packard Humanities Institute. [6]
The new print was made “from the original 35mm nitrate picture negative, a 35mm safety duplicate negative, and a 35mm safety up-and-down track negative.” [6]
The restoration premiered at the UCLA Festival of Preservation on March 26, 2011 [6] and was screened at other North American cities in 2011, including Vancouver. [7]