Vechten voor onze rechten (1962)

Overview

Self-taught filmmaker Frans Buyens captures in Fighting for Our Rights the monumental Belgian workers’ strike of 1960–61, protesting the Eykens III government’s Unification Law. This collage-style documentary is a heartfelt tribute to the workers and sparked significant controversy in Belgium. While several festivals at home rejected the film, Buyens’ work received acclaim at festivals across Germany, Italy, and beyond. Through precise, dialectical editing combined with music and voice-over, Buyens vividly portrays both the power and the setbacks of the Belgian labor movement.

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