Made In Dagenham is being tipped as THE British film to see this autumn as Sally Hawkins leads an all star cast that tells the story of the women’s strike of 1968.
Hawkins stars as Rita O’Grady who is the catalyst for the 1968 Ford Dagenham strike by 187 sewing machinists which led to the advent of the Equal Pay Act.
Working in extremely impoverished conditions and for long arduous hours, the women at the Ford Dagenham plant finally lay down their tools when they are reclassified as ‘unskilled’.
With humour, common sense and courage they take on their corporate paymasters, an increasingly belligerent local community, and finally the government itself.
The leader of the women’s struggle is fast-talking, no nonsense Rita whose fiery temper and occasionally hilarious unpredictability proves to be a match for any of her male opponents, and is echoed by Barbara Castle’s struggle in the male-dominated House of Commons.
Stars of the new film British spoke to FilmClub – the nationwide after-school initiative and experts in films for young people, at the World Premiere of the new film in London’s Leicester Square.
