How to Survive the 1940s: Post-War Public Information Films from the U.K.

This program features shorts that aimed to put a war-weary Great Britain back on its feet. Since 1946 the Central Office of Information has instructed the British public on health, safety, and welfare issues--from the danger of accepting sweets from strangers to how to survive a nuclear explosion. Including films such as Your Children's Meals (advice for parents of fussy eaters) and The People at No. 19 (a mini-film noir dealing with venereal disease), this program provides an intriguing portrait of everyday life in 1940s' Britain. Organized by the British Film Institute. (35mm, 85 mins.)