Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle is a 1982 documentary film about a group of Pullman car porters who organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters - claimed to be the first African American trade union. The film examines issues of work, race and dignity. The film uses a variety of sources including historical records and photos, old films, and interviews with and reminiscences of retired porters. The film is narrated by a porter's widow and former union organizer: Rosina Tucker.
The film was produced by Jack Santino and Paul Wagner and won four regional Emmy Awards. It has been described as "One hundred years of history is spanned in an enlightening portrait
of admirable dignity." – New York Times and as "A moving account of the Pullman porters' remarkable (and largely untold) history." – Washington Post.
In addition to its four regional Emmy Awards, the film has also ben honoured at the Telluride Film Festival, and received the American Film Festival Blue Ribbon, and a CINE Golden Eagle. The film was funded by the D.C. Community Humanities Council.
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, 1h19 GenresDocumentary ThemesTransport films, Documentary films about historical events, Documentary films about politics, Documentary films about technology, Documentary films about cities, Political films Rating74% The film begins in 2009 and opens with aerial shots of Cairo's geometrical gridlock, while Handel's Water Music plays seamlessly in the background. The serenity is quickly broken, however, by a series of ground-level shots of bumper to bumper traffic, shouting taxi drivers, and an endless symphony of car horns. Amidst this mélange of 14 million vehicles, it appears that not even the traffic police understand how it all works. Yet through a series of comical behind the wheel interviews, it becomes clear that the array of sounds and gestures represents an ongoing dialogue between the city's 20 million residents. However, the film also touches upon the city's darker side. Corruption is rampant and despite residents' crafty work-arounds, the situation is without question out of control and getting worse. One resident describes crossing Cario's streets, many of which have eight or more "lanes", as a giant game of Frogger. A more poignant moment comes when a long-time American resident of Cairo recounts how his daughter, 18, was struck and killed by a bus.