The Passaic Textile Strike

A silent black-and-white film, made by Mezhrabpom (a propagandist organization of the Comintern), consists of two parts: 1) a dramatic portrayal of the tragic fate of the Breznak family, Polish immigrants, and 2) a documentary about the relentless strike of 16,000 workers at textile factories in Passaic, New Jersey, from January 25, 1926, to March 1, 1927. Unfortunately, only the first stage of the battle is covered (the film was released in October 1926), when the communist strike committee had just transferred leadership to the union "United Textile Workers of America" (UTWA). Additionally, the film is missing its 5th and 7th final parts (though the 5th reel was found decades later). However, it offers unique, period-specific footage of the actions of the strikers, police, strike committee defenses, picketing, speeches by union leaders, and solidarity support from other unions.