Misère au Borinage
Encyclopedia
Misère au Borinage is a 1933 Belgian documentary film directed by Henri Storck
and Joris Ivens
.
The film opens with these words: Crisis in the Capitalist World. Factories are closed down, abandoned. Millions of proletarians are hungry!
The Borinage is one of the most famous industrial region of Wallonia (and of the classic industrial revolution
in general) because of its history of hard and long social strikes. For instance, in 1932 with a long strike (two months) in this region but also in Liège
and Charleroi
is quoted as one of the most important work of the Political cinema
cinema ."It is one of the most important references in the documentary genre."
"The stridency of the work is exemplified by a short film Ivens made with Belgian cinema club leader Henri Storck (1933) portraiting the cruelty plunged into poverty as result of a classic capitalist crisis of over production."
For Philipp Mosley this film is linked to the History of Wallonia
. He speaks about other events after the long strike of 1932: "Matters worsened in 1956 with the Marcinelle
disaster, whose victims included many immigrants, and then with release of initial closure plans for Walloon mines. In scene reminiscent of Storck's Borinage film of 1933, social unrest in the area near Mons escalated into general strike of 1960 and 1961." . Robert Stallaerts wrote about Storck one of the directors of Misère au Borinage: "Although a Fleming, he can be called the father of the Walloon cinema."
Henri Storck
Henri Storck was a Belgian author, film-maker and documentarist.In 1933, he directed, with Joris Ivens, Misère au Borinage, a film about the miners in the Borinage area. In 1938, with Andre Thirifays and Pierre Vermeylen, he founded the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique...
and Joris Ivens
Joris Ivens
Joris Ivens was a Dutch documentary filmmaker and committed communist.-Early life and career:...
.
The film opens with these words: Crisis in the Capitalist World. Factories are closed down, abandoned. Millions of proletarians are hungry!
The Borinage is one of the most famous industrial region of Wallonia (and of the classic industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in general) because of its history of hard and long social strikes. For instance, in 1932 with a long strike (two months) in this region but also in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
and Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
is quoted as one of the most important work of the Political cinema
Political cinema
Political cinema in the narrow sense of the term is a cinema which portrays current or historical events or social conditions in a partisan way in order to inform or to agitate the spectator...
cinema ."It is one of the most important references in the documentary genre."
"The stridency of the work is exemplified by a short film Ivens made with Belgian cinema club leader Henri Storck (1933) portraiting the cruelty plunged into poverty as result of a classic capitalist crisis of over production."
For Philipp Mosley this film is linked to the History of Wallonia
History of Wallonia
The history of Wallonia, from pre-historic times to the present day, is that of a territory which, since 1970, has approximately coincided with the territory of the Walloon Region, a federated component which includes the smaller German-speaking Community of Belgium . Wallonia is the name...
. He speaks about other events after the long strike of 1932: "Matters worsened in 1956 with the Marcinelle
Marcinelle
Marcinelle is a Walloon town in the Belgian province of Hainaut, it is currently a municipality within the Charleroi borders. Until 1977, the town was a municipality of its own....
disaster, whose victims included many immigrants, and then with release of initial closure plans for Walloon mines. In scene reminiscent of Storck's Borinage film of 1933, social unrest in the area near Mons escalated into general strike of 1960 and 1961." . Robert Stallaerts wrote about Storck one of the directors of Misère au Borinage: "Although a Fleming, he can be called the father of the Walloon cinema."
See also
- BorinageBorinageThe Borinage is an area in the Walloon province of Hainaut. The provincial capital Mons is located in the east of the Borinage. In French the inhabitants are called Borains...
- Belgian general strikesBelgian general strikesThe Belgian general strikes were a peculiar phenomenon of the social, economical and political life in Belgium due to huge concentrations of workers in the Belgian Cities as Ghent, Antwerp, mainly in Wallonia, in Charleroi and Liège but also in other places in the Walloon Sillon industriel, e.g....
- Walloon Jacquerie of 1886Walloon Jacquerie of 1886The Walloon jacquerie of 1886 was a working class jacquerie of a bloody spring as many Walloon scholars are calling it This violent upheaval of the Belgian, especially Walloon proletariat, caused a profound psychological shock in an atmosphere of fear of an inevitable and explosive social...
- Belgian general strike of 1893Belgian general strike of 1893The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....
- General strike against Leopold III of BelgiumGeneral strike against Leopold III of BelgiumThe Royal Question refers to the 1950 political conflict surrounding the question whether King Leopold III should return to Belgium after World War II. A referendum was organised, in which the majority voted in favour of his return...
- 1960-1961 Winter General Strike1960-1961 Winter General Strike1960–1961 Winter General Strike was the most important strike of the 20th century in Belgium and was called the Strike of the Century. Its triggering factor was Eyskens' government introducing a number of austerity policies under the general name Loi unique...
- Les Enfants du Borinage - Lettre à Henri StorckLes Enfants du Borinage - Lettre à Henri StorckThe kids of the coal mine: A letter to Henri Storck is a 1999 documentary film by director Patric Jean about the former mining district Borinage in the Walloon region of Belgium....