The Song of the Shirt

A remarkably ambitious, multi-faceted project that uses the condition of the sweated seamstresses of 19th century London as a starting point from which to examine such varied subjects as the establishment of a sexual division of labour under capitalism, the nature of the Welfare State as a prop of male dominance, History as a disparate series of representations, and film itself. What should be stressed is the pleasure afforded by its strategic variation of image quality (video, etchings, stills) and by a witty score (by members of the Feminist Improvisation Group) which challenges the conventions of film music.