Made in Dagenham

Made in Dagenham (2010) is a British comedy-drama directed by Nigel Cole — watch it online on iFILM. In June 1968, 850 women working the sewing machineries at Ford's Dagenham plant walked off the job after management classified their work as "unskilled." Sally Hawkins leads the cast, with Bob Hoskins and Miranda Richardson alongside her.

Rita O'Grady never planned to lead a strike. She was a seamstress who sewed car seat covers and went home to her family. But when the factory told her and her colleagues their skills weren't worth equal pay, Rita stepped in front of the cameras and disagreed — loudly. The walkout lasted three weeks and shut down Ford production across Britain. Employment Secretary Barbara Castle eventually agreed to meet them.

What makes the film work is that it never turns into a lecture. Director Cole keeps it funny and grounded, letting the absurdity of the original situation carry the weight. The 1968 protest led directly to the Equal Pay Act of 1970, one of the earliest laws of its kind in Europe. Stream Made in Dagenham (2010) online on iFILM — particularly good for viewers who like history that doesn't take itself too seriously.