Railplan 68

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Short / Documentary
Netherlands, 1953, 15 min

Directed by:

Louis van Gasteren

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The film Raiplan 68 is a tribute to labour and labourers. In this beautiful and at times engrossing documentary, director Van Gasteren shows how workers leave their homes in the morning with their packed lunch to go and lug iron bars all night long for the city‘s transport company. Red-hot pieces of rail are evidence of the dangerous conditions these men have to work in. And always in a hurry, because the irrevocable deadline lies on the seventh stroke of the morning bell. At that time the first tram begins its first ride. Passengers board, unaware of what was required that night to enable their tram to depart. When this short film was released in 1954, its beauty was not recognised right away. Later on, the Soviet Union distributed one thousand copies in its member states. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)

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