This 1942 British film, Women at War, contrasts sharply with similar Canadian productions. It accepts women's direct participation in the war effort as a natural outgrowth of their peacetime occupations.
Filmed in 1942, this is ideal for discussion or study of the roles of women during World War II. Consider comparing this film with the film How They Saw Us: Needles and Pins (1955) and describe the difference in tone. Who is narrating the film? During the era in which this film was made, most documentaries were narrated by men, whereas this film was written and narrated by women. How are women represented in this film? What other examples have you seen in film or TV of women doing “non-traditional” work? Are representations of women on screen changing? Are women’s roles behind the camera changing?