Les Misères de l'aiguille (1914)

Original title

Les misères de l'aiguille

Directed by

Raphaël Clamour

Genre

fiction, silent film

Country

France

Runtime

13 min

Rating

6.5 of 10 from 2 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

The film follows the struggles of female workers in a sewing trade. It shows their material and social hardships. The story is told from an anarchist and feminist perspective.

earnestdidacticsocially consciousgrittyrawmelancholicpolemicalhistorical

What happens

Les Misères de l'aiguille or Miseries of the Needle is an anarchist and feminist film released in 1914, directed by Raphaël Clamour and produced by Le Cinéma du Peuple. Focusing on the condition of women and the situation of female workers, it is likely the first feminist film in history. The anarchist cooperative that produced it explicitly called for the emancipation of women and encouraged the audience to become politically engaged on the issue. Furthermore, the film sought to highlight the material, moral, and social issues affecting women. Featuring Musidora in the central role, this marks her first role in a film. Published eight years before La Souriante madame Beudet by Germaine Dulac, the film was later rediscovered by historians and restored in 2020 by the Cinémathèque. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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