''Tomorrow's World'' is a 20-minute 1943 Canadian
documentary film, made by the
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the
wartime ''
Canada Carries On'' series. The film, produced by Raymond Spottiswoode, described the importance of conservation and rationing during the
Second World War, and how the world would be more prosperous and better planned because of the war efforts. The
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
version of ''Tomorrow's World'' is titled ''Le Monde de demain''.
Synopsis
During the Second World War, by 1943, shortages in food and resources begin to affect all
warring nations. In
Nazi Germany, conditions harken back to the desperate years in the
First World War and shortly after, when ordinary citizens were impoverished and forced to severely curtail their food intake. In Russia, families have to contend with the widespread destruction of their homes and farms. Bomb-scarred Great Britain survives by instituting strict rationing of food and conservation of strategic goods along with efforts to salvage metal in both domestic and industrial programs.
Even in affluent North America, the
home front has been transformed by the exigencies of a "total war". While households may face the inevitable shortages, "tightening" the belt" has resulted in industrial production turned to arms manufacturing. Munitions factories are turning out the weapons of war for not only the United States and Canada, but also for faraway battlefields in China and Russia.
The massive amount of over-production of goods has western leaders cautioning that the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
was caused by greed and poor planning. In order to avoid repeating the economic crisis, careful planning has to take place. To ensure victory, an all-inclusive program of sharing, conservation, salvage and rationing has been seen in every aspect of life. The scrap metal drives are only one of the examples of this new attitude.
With the forces of the
New World about to collide with those of the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
, the Axis powers build up their defences using forced labour. Across Northwest Europe, the
"Maginot mentality" begins to take root as the Axis turns its occupied territory into
Fortress Europe. The
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
realize that victory over the
Axis powers will release the industrial might that was mobilized for war.
As war production turns to peace needs, a glimpse of the future can be seen in the advances of aviation where new inventions such as the
helicopter and streamlined, long distance, high performance transports will become commonplace. In Canada's north, U.S. Army engineers along with Canadian workers created the