We watched many films in film studies and most of them seemed harmless but when asked the question is the films that we watched documentary or propaganda?
We are first faced with the question what is propaganda and how did it affect the society in the 1930s. Propaganda is mainly used to get or influence people to buy or believe whatever you are saying. You use it when you want to sell something or push your opinion on something. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviours of large numbers of people. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience.
Films that were made in the United Kingdom in the 1930s were started by The GPO Film Unit. The unit was established in 1933, taking on responsibilities of the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit. Headed by John Grierson. JG invented the word documentary previously factual films were called actualities. They were films of actual events (not fictional) JG is described as the father (pioneer) of documentary. He set up the GPO film unit and brought together famous photographers, film makers and sociologists. His idea was to create a team that could study how British people and workers lived and worked. His team focused on the hard work of the ordinary man. GPO stands for the general post office that controlled the telephone system and so they were interested in funding other new technology like film. The film was made with a camera which weighed 100 pounds made from wood and brass was on tripods and not handheld, sound was recorded separately. It was set up to produce sponsored documentary films Created 75 years ago out of the ashes of the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit; the GPO Film Unit was one of the most remarkable creative institutions that Britain has produced. Directors John Grierson, Alberto Cavalcanti, Humphrey Jennings, Basil Wright,