''Country Lads'' is a 1941

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

patriotic propaganda film. It was produced by the

National Film Unit The National Film Unit (NFU) was a state-owned film-production organisation originally based in Miramar, New Zealand. Founded in 1936 when the government took over a private film studio, Filmcraft, the NFU produced newsreels, documentaries and p ...

for the New Zealand war effort.

Synopsis

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

had referred to New Zealand soldiers as "poor, deluded country lads". ''Country Lads'' shows the pride of Kiwi troops, emphasising ordinary men and women from all walks of life taking up the call to serve. It shows the impact of war on the society of New Zealand in the 1940s. The dockside goodbyes to loved ones are still poignant today.

Production

''Country Lads'' was the first production by the newly reorganised

Reviews

*1995 featured in New Zealand's contribution to the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

's Century of Cinema series - Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill.

References

{{reflist

External links

''Country Lads''
on YouTube 1941 films 1940s New Zealand films 1940s English-language films National Film Unit 1940s short documentary films 1941 in New Zealand Black-and-white documentary films Films set in New Zealand New Zealand short documentary films