Gerry Harant interviewed by Wendy Lowenstein for the Communists and the Left in the arts and community oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 563955
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Harant, Gerry, 1923-2015, interviewee
- Online Version:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 1993 March 15-1994 April 8
- 6 digital audio tapes.
- Series:
- Communists and the Left in the arts and community oral history project.
- Summary:
-
Gerry Harant, a former electronics engineer and Communist, reflects on his association with the Communist Party and on his career as an electronics technician and designer in a number of Melbourne engineering works, speaking of: his Austrian family background, involvement in Young Austria group; joining Communist Party of Australia; New Theatre, Melbourne & CP involvement; CP film screenings; benefits of CP training; Realist Film Association (formerly Realist Film Unit); working with 16mm film; CP attitudes to the arts; films power plays within CP; infiltration; his control system design; Melbourne Film Society; NT closure; censorship & Melbourne Film Festival; State Film Centre; art & propaganda; Communism & humanism; contemporary attitudes to revolution; factory line work; engineering design; technological innovations and industrial safety; Cold War; factory managements; rebotics; Australian industrial research; cultural cringe in Australian industry; Repco Research Apprentice Training Centre; profit sharing; Dynavac CP demise; sociatism; socialist realism; CP preoccupation with economic over human issues; art grants; criticism of Soviet Union; contrast in capitalist/socialist systems; Sydney/Melbourne art scenes; CP denegration of compliant proletariat.
- Biography/History:
-
Harant was born in Austria in 1923, arriving with his family in Melbourne in 1939. He found work as an electronics technician in factories, joined New Theatre and became active in the Communist Party & the Realist Film association.
- Notes:
-
- Recorded in Melbourne, Vic. between 15 March 1993 and 8 April 1994.
- Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-205017385
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary available.
- Subject:
-
- Harant, Gerry, 1923-2015 -- Interviews
- Realist Film Association -- History
- New Theatre (Melbourne, Vic.) -- History
- Electronics engineers -- Victoria -- Melbourne -- Interviews
- Communists -- Victoria -- Melbourne -- Interviews
- Communism and motion pictures -- Victoria -- Melbourne -- History
- Production engineering -- Victoria -- Melbourne -- History
- Communism -- Australia -- History
- Other authors/contributors:
- Lowenstein, Wendy, 1927-2006, interviewer
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Communists and the Left in the arts and community oral history project.
This collection contains 52 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
You may copy under some circumstances, for example you may copy a portion for research or study. Order a copy through Copies Direct to the extent allowed under fair dealing. Contact us for further information about copying.
- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2064 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1994
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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