This film is part of Free

Title of error

See Help

India Rubber

WWII propaganda film about natural rubber production in Travancore, southern India

Documentary 1944 11 mins

Overview

Reckless boy racers are jauntily chastised for wasting valuable tyres in this propaganda film highlighting a key part of India’s contribution to the mammoth war effort. We see the process of natural rubber production in Travancore, southern India (most of which is now part of Kerala), stepped up after the Japanese occupation of Malaya. While delighting in the human ingenuity involved, the film doesn’t entirely shy away from the environmental impact, showing the deforestation process involved in creating a rubber plantation. Despite the cheery score, rubber has come to be associated with human rights abuses under various colonial powers around the world.

This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.

Original title

Indian Rubber

Genres

Documentary

Country

India

Language

English

Subjects

Watch for free

Villenour. (French India: Territory of Pondicherry) Villenour. (French India: Territory of Pondicherry)

Travelogue 1914 4 mins Silent

Gorgeously dreamlike colour images of (then) French India – present-day Puducherry

Watch for free

Uti 1925 Uti 1925

Amateur film 1925 15 mins Silent

Snapshots of colonial life around Tamil Nadu, plus a visit to the Toda tribe

Watch for free

Sir John Laing Missionary Films Madras & Ceylon Sir John Laing Missionary Films Madras & Ceylon

Amateur film 1947 18 mins Silent

Rare amateur footage of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka

Watch for free

Houseboating in Waltair Houseboating in Waltair

Amateur film 1926 13 mins Silent

The Uzielli family takes to the water in Visakhapatnam, southern India

Watch for free

Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath

Amateur film 1946 7 mins Silent

Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath, filmed in remarkable colour by ‘envoy of the Raj’ Clarmont Skrine

Currently unavailable

Working Womenn Working Womenn

Open access programme 1975 14 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

A very rare chance to see working class women, in a Women's Charter group, having an opportunity to air their strong views about gender inequality and what needs to be done to end it.