Country Lads

Country Lads was used to advocate for a reorganised government filmmaking body, to publicise the war effort during WWll. It went on to screen in Kiwi cinemas as the first production released by the newly born National Film Unit. It features footage of soldiers as they leave for the front. Adolf Hitler had called the Kiwi soldiers "poor deluded country lads"; but here the description is turned into a compliment. The narrator mentions Kiwi pioneers who "helped make this country what it is: happy, prosperous and free". During the war the NFU released a film every week, despite fears government filmmaking was about to be sidelined.

Our army, ourselves ... civilian into soldier. It’s an old story, but this time it is about us, and that makes it different. There is no goose-stepping here, just the swinging stride of free men who have put on their working clothes and got into step for the biggest job ever tackled.

– The narrator

Key Cast & Crew

Stanhope Andrews

Director, Producer, Editor