Belgium
In Stijn Connix’s Belgian film, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar, a priest becomes active in the late nineteenth century Flemish labor movement.
In 1890, Priest Adolf Daens returns to his hometown, the Belgian municipality Aalst, after dispute with bishop Antoon Stillemans. Daens moves in with his brother Pieter, publisher of the local newspaper “Land Van Aelst”.
Daens is upset when he hears about the bad work conditions in the textile industry. Workmen are abused and exploited by the rich managers only for their own profit. To gain more profit, the companies have just decided to fire all men, and replace them by women with lower wages.
Children need to work day and night, fall asleep and are flattened under the mechanical looms. Industrial accidents happen continuously and the management takes no action.
Oscar Nominations: 1
Best Foreign Language
Oscar Context
The winner was the French historical melodrama, “Indochine.”
