This film is part of Free
Blinded Soldiers Playing Push Ball
This moving scene of wounded WWI fighters in a London park reminds us of the real costs of combat.
Overview
When cameras were banned from the WWI frontline by the Government, filmgoers sometimes had to make do with wartime reporting which was composed entirely of domestic scenes. Newsreels were on hand to offer light stories that simply implied foreign events. These blinded soldiers have suffered a horrific fate - but when they're seen cheerfully at play, could the war have seemed any further away?
Newsreels like Topical Budget wanted to please big audiences. It was not their usual business to challenge the status quo - so rather than question the conflict of World War I, they simply documented it. Even though the content is relatively plain, there is action and drama underlying this footage - perhaps the soldiers' contest suggests overseas struggles. The sport of pushball may not have stood the test of time, but the charitable work of St Dunstan's has - under the name of Blind Veterans UK.
Related
Shower Baths in the Trenches Shower Baths in the Trenches
Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins Silent
A humble scrub is all it takes to get these French troops in a lather.
Airship No. 9 Airship No. 9
Non-Fiction 1916 14 mins Silent Location: Walney Island
The maiden flight of Britain's first successful rigid airship – just don’t call it a zeppelin…
The Scarecrow The Scarecrow
Comedy 1916 12 mins Silent
A tramp steals the clothes from a scarecrow, but when he realises two couples are using its pockets to pass messages, he sees an opportunity.
Tubby's Typewriter Tubby's Typewriter
Comedy 1916 11 mins Silent
Newlywed Tubby fancies another man's typewriter and ends up in hot water with his new wife
Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale
1916 8 mins Silent
Preston North End play Liverpool (probably) in a regional football competition during WWI.
Industrial Sidelights Industrial Sidelights
Interest film 1916 7 mins Silent
Goat farming, salmon farming and copper mining all feature in this enlightening oddity.
Joe's Way Joe's Way
Public Information Filler 1975 13 mins Location: Rotherhithe
Road safety film, or warning of the dangers of flared trousers – you decide
A Boy Goes Cycling A Boy Goes Cycling
Amateur film 1963 15 mins Location: Catford
Pedal power saves a dad's day in this colourful cycling safety film set in a sunny 60s South East London.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.