Still Ragged: 100 Years of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Still Ragged: 100 Years of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is a 2014 British documentary film directed and written by Daniel Draper, and produced by Christie Allanson and Daniel Draper. The film tells the story of how The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists finally made it into print four years after the death of the author Robert Tressell.

Overview

Still Ragged InterViews the likes of Tressell's biographer Dave Harker and long time socialist and union militant actor Ricky Tomlinson, and Labour MP Tom Watson. The contributors reinforce the relevance of the novel's condemnation of today—the low pay and bullying bosses, insecure work and zero hours contracts. It also shows clips from Stephen Lowe's stage adaptation of the novel, and he is also interviewed.

In the film, interviewees explain how this made-up story, set decades before they were even born, made sense of their experience of life in a uniquely powerful way. The contributors reinforce the relevance of the novel's condemnation of today—the low pay and bullying bosses, insecure work and zero hours contracts.

Production

Daniel Draper, a film graduate from Liverpool, became truly politicised after reading Robert Tressell's book The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists.

After interviewing Skinner for a documentary about the book to mark the 100th anniversary of its publication in 2014, called Still Ragged in 2014, Draper approached Skinner about making a feature-length documentary about his life and contribution to British politics. After a 90-minute phone conversation Skinner decided he trusted Draper to make the documentary Nature of the Beast.

Release

In July 2015, Still Ragged was screened at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival.

Reception

Pat Carmody of Socialist Worker called Still Ragged "...an elegant celebration of the centenary of the book's first publication."

See also

• Political cinema