Videos

Unseen for many years, this documentary short was made by the Colonial Film Unit towards the end of WWII for overseas distribution. The film is silent - it would have been shown to audiences throughout Britain's Caribbean colonies, often in venues without sound equipment. It profiles the Trinidadian cricketer Learie Constantine, who was among the best-paid sportsmen in Britain in the 1930s. Early in the war he was asked to serve as a welfare officer for the Ministry of Labour and National Service, looking after the interests of African and Caribbean munitions workers. The film shows the day-to-day work of Constantine, meeting factory workers, listening to their problems, and taking part in a charity cricket match. (Stephen Bourne)