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Mechanised Women

By Marie Anne Thunissen

Capture d’écran 2023-11-27 à 11.01_edite
Synopsis

In February 1966, a 12-week strike began at the National War Weapons Factory in Herstal (Belgium).

 

The 3,000 “machine women” who worked in these halls during the first weapons manufacturing operations demand the application of Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome which provides for equal pay between men and women for equal work. . 

By stopping work, they put almost all of the 7,000 workers who follow them in the production chain out of work. 

The movement will last twelve weeks and will have very significant national and international repercussions. 

Today the FN, former flagship of the Liège industrial basin, is no longer what it was, only has a good thousand workers, and hardly any "machine women" anymore.

What has become of them and what do they keep from this strike that they led “like one leads a war”.

A coproduction RTBF, Les Films de la Passerelle, CBA. With the support of Ministère de la Communauté Française de Belgique, de la Région Wallonne et de la Commission des Communautés Européennes. 

Technical sheet
Year: 1996
Duration: 58''
Language: French 
Direction: Marie Anne Thunissen

Cinematography: Lucien Ronday & Symka Pacanowski
Sound: Bernard Gabus
Editing: Alain Darville & Marie Hélène Dozo
Producer: 
Christine Pireaux - Les Films de la Passerelle
 
Stills
Award

★ Special Mention by the Professional Jury at the “Traces de Vies” Festival in Vic le Comte

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