Movie spotlight
Do You Think A Job Is the Answer?
In response to the Detroit riots of 1967, where racial tensions in the city reached a breaking point, the city decided that the way to resolve these tensions would be to put more resources into employing Black people. Namely, chronically unemployed Black men who they refer to as "the hardcore." And predominantly, employing them on the line in auto assembly plants. But in the words of Lloyd Love, a young Detroiter interviewed in the film, this PBS documentary poses the question, "Do you think a job is the answer?" The film explores this question in 1968, by speaking with workers, unemployed people, union activists, students, people who implement city-run employment programs, members of DRUM (Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement), and the Detroit Industrial Mission.
Insights
Plot Summary
This short documentary, from the National Film Board of Canada, explores the concept of employment and its place in society. It uses archival footage and interviews to question the traditional view of a job as the sole answer to life's challenges. The film probes anxieties surrounding unemployment and the potential for societal stagnation.
Critical Reception
As a short, experimental documentary, "Do You Think A Job Is the Answer?" is often cited for its prescient social commentary and avant-garde filmmaking techniques. It is recognized for its contribution to Canadian cinema and its challenging of societal norms.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its thought-provoking and critical examination of work and its societal role.
Applauded for its experimental editing and use of found footage to create a disorienting yet insightful experience.
Recognized as a significant, albeit less widely known, piece of Canadian documentary filmmaking.
Google audience: N/A
Fun Fact
Arthur Lipsett was known for his highly personal and often unsettling approach to filmmaking, frequently utilizing found footage and experimental sound design.
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