The Audiovisual Archive of the Labour and Democratic Movement is an Italian-based archive founded in the late 1970s. AAMOD’s aim is the research, collection, conservation, and organisation of important moments in contemporary history. The archive builds and promotes a collective memory of social movements and the people who led them with an emphasis on learning and analysing that content.  Their collection holds approximately 10,000 hours of video, 1,500 hours of audio, and 200,000 images. Footage includes a demonstration of solidarity with Chilean Democrats in 1975, the culture of American cities from an Italian perspective, and an exploration of Somalia nomads.

Turin after the Miracle (1962) is a short documentary that explores the less glossy aspects of the Italian economic miracle of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The documentary focuses on the large industrial city of Turin with workers striking against layoffs and landscapes filled with factories and abandoned buildings.

Lenin vivo (1970) is an audio and visual journey into the life and work of Vladimir Lenin. The documentary offers insight into the time between the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the formation of the USSR in 1922. Included in the documentary is an address given on the first anniversary of the Revolution, Lenin talking to the companions of the Red Army, and Lenin sharing thoughts about world revolutionary themes to Soviet citizens. 

AAMOD’s collection also includes footage of September 11, 2001. The footage, shot only a mile from Ground Zero, encapsulates New York on that tragic day as well as the days after.  People dressed for work walk away from the area as smoke begins to fill downtown Manhattan. This turns into the endless sounds of speeding cars and sirens as first responders begin to make their way into the area from all over the city. In the aftermath, the city came together, cheering on emergency responders and beginning to plaster the city with flyers looking for their loved ones. 

Discover all our content from AAMOD here.

Contact us if you have any questions or would like to utilise this collection for your projects.