Brother, can you spare a dime?
By Charlotte Stace
La Filmoteca is screening the documentary film Brother, can you spare a dime? (1975). Directed by Philippe Mora, it takes a nostalgic look back at archive footage of the Great Depression in 1930s America.
The documentary takes a deep dive into the bleak lows and artistic highs of one of America’s most transformative periods in history. It features the dreadful reality that the vast majority of Americans dealt with during this period. Largely through the use of newsreel clips, the film also depicts how Hollywood coped with this period of widespread poverty and unemployment. While a lot of the archival footage shows a glamour and extravagance often associated with this era, it is a striking contrast to the daily hardships faced during the 1930s in America.
The film was met with critical acclaim and in 1976 it was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film.