John Sayles to Introduce 'Matewan' in Waterford, Ireland
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — John Sayles
bergman767 — 16 years ago(August 23, 2009 11:02 AM)
The Waterford Council of Trade Unions is pleased to announce that the world renowned and twice Academy Award nominated writer/director John Sayles is to travel to Waterford from his home in New Jersey, USA to help the council celebrate its centenary.
John Sayles will introduce his film Matewan at a special screening organised by the WCTU on Thursday 15th October at the Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford. He will be joined by his partner and producer of Matewan Maggie Renzi for the screening.
The screening will be held in partnership with the Imagine Arts Festival (www.imagineartsfestival.com, Waterford Film For All (www.waterfordfilmforall.com) and the Garter Lane 2000Arts Centre (www.garterlane.ie).
John Sayles is one of the most admired filmmakers in the US. He has been making intelligent, literary, independent films with a strong social conscience and political awareness for almost thirthy years. He has become known as the Godfather of independent films for his refusal to succumb to the Hollywood studio system. His films examine the moral and physical corruption of a society that worships naked greed over equality, fraternity and liberty.
Matewan concerns the attempt by an IWW union organiser to unionise coalmine workers in the face of violence, brutality and vicious exploitation. The character Joe Kenehan preaches a doctrine of working class solidarity and consistently argues against recourse to force.
Matewan is a marvellous celebration of working class solidarity and courage in the face of the most brutal employers. It focuses on the rank and file experience of the 1920 strike with the intention of inspiring similar solidarity and courage among the working class today.
The film is based on the true story of the Battle of Matewan where workers from the Stone Mountain Coal Company fought with hired mercenaries from the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. The attempts to prevent the workers from unionising resulted in a pitched battle on the streets of Matewan, West Virginia on May 19th 1920, which resulted in ten deaths including the mayor of the town.
Inspired by the Battle of Matewan, coal miners from across West Virginia gathered in Charelstown, West Virginia. Determined to organise the southern coalfields, they began a march to Logan County. Thousands of miners joined them along the way in what became the largest armed insurrection in the United States since the Civil War the Battle of Blair Mountain. The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest organised armed uprising in American labour history and led directly to the labour laws currently in effect in the United States of America.
The Waterford Council of Trade Unions was founded on May 24th 1909. Since that day the council has provided a voice and leadership on matters industrial, political and social for the betterment of the working people of Waterford City and County.
Many historic challenges had to be faced - the early struggles of survival and decriminalisation; the massive upheavals of the war of independence; the founding of the Free State; the class war of the great Waterford agricultural labourers strike of 1921-23; the Waterford Soviet of 1920; the cycle of recessions and depressions that Ireland suffered as a result of a legacy of poverty and underdevelopment from colonial occupation and right wing government opposition to state sponsored enterprise.
For a century the WCTU has led the challenge to powerful vested interests, fighting for improved industrial and social conditions and has given a voice to the Labour movement in the city. As part of its centenary celebrations the council will be holding a series of cultural and educational events over the next twelve months.
For more information contact wctu@ireland.com
About the Waterford Council of Trade Unions
On Thursday 15th June 1908, trade union leader and socialist activist Jim Larkin was invited to speak at the City Hall in Waterford. Larkins renown as an orator and radical trade unionist ensured a huge turnout. Three bands met him as he entered Waterford and a huge throng escorted a torchlight parade along the quay.
At the meeting however, violence erupted in one corner of the room when a gang of hired thugs assembled on behalf of the Stevedores and local merchants attempted to disrupt the meeting. Their attempt failed, the meeting proceeded, and Larkins words inspired the formation of the Waterford Council of Trade Unions.
Principally organised by ASRS branch secretary Michael OConnor, the new trades council first met in the ASRS hall, Ballybricken, Waterford on Monday 24th May 1909. At the meeting were delegates from the FTLU, ASRS, Drapers Assistants, Typographical Association, Railway Clerks Association, Postmens Union, and Stonecutters, Tailors, Coopers, Corkcutters, Pipemakers, Coachmakers, Cabinetmakers, and Bridge Artificers Societies.
Subsequent meetings saw affiliation from the ITGWU, Carpenters and Joiners, Ancient Guild of Incorporated Brick and Stonelayers, Grocers A