Yugoslav Youth Labor Actions in Documentary Film: Organization, Internationalism, and Reminiscing

Abstract

This article analyzes several documentary films on youth labor actions in socialist Yugoslavia, covering different stages of their organization. The analysis begins with educational films that outline recommended practices for the successful organization of youth labor actions. It continues with two films, shot 20 years apart, portraying international experiences of youth labor actions. These films, “Witnesses to the truth” (Svjedoci istine) from 1950 and “American woman” (Amerikanka) from 1970, articulate criticism in different ways, in keeping with when the films were made. The last film analyzed, Ho-Ruk! Ho-Ruk! Ho-Ruk! – filmed in 1974 – reflects on 30 years of experience of youth labor actions. Periodizing the films in this way presents three different views of youth labor actions, namely what they should become, what they are, and what they used to be.