World War II in Short Films - AV Club

World War II at 80

Join us for a screening of a selection of 16mm films that depict the Second World War from the point of view of Nazi-occupied countries and American propaganda. Join Special Collections archivist Katharine Labuda and librarian Miriam Kashem for a discussion on the role of film to depict elements of the wartime experience. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-442-7872 or castrod@mdpls.org. Ages 14 yrs.+

About the Program Series

2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a pivotal historical moment that continues to resonate profoundly in our global landscape. The Miami-Dade Public Library System proudly presents World War II at 80 - a year-long series honoring historical milestones. Enlightening panel discussions and presentations, thought-provoking exhibits and book clubs, along with other insightful events are planned throughout the year. Discover Miami's role in this informative chapter of history and its ongoing relevance today. Students may ask about earning community service hours for attending and participating in the event.

Visit https://mdpls.org/WWII to learn more and see the schedule of events. 

About the Films:

• The 40s, 1980, 3 mins.

Presents a collage of the fads, fashions, and personalities of World War II, set to the lively beat of Bette Midler's recording of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.”

• Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi, 1943, 10 mins.

 This public domain film is an anti-Nazi propaganda film produced by Walt Disney Studios and directed by Clyde Geronimi as part of a government contract to produce animated shorts during the war. The film is based on a book of the same name by American author and correspondent Gregor Ziemer. The film features the story of Hans, a boy born and raised in Nazi Germany, his indoctrination during childhood, and his eventual march to war.

• The Spring-Man and the SS (Czech: Pérák a SS), 1946, 16 mins.

This animated cartoon was made shortly after World War II, in Czechoslovakia, by puppeteer/filmmaker Jirí Trnka. Also known as The Devil on Springs, the film's anti-Nazi tone dismayed the Nazis and created a fabled hero known at the Spring Man, who is actually a chimney sweep whose feet, caught up in some couch springs, bounce along causing one disaster after another for the Nazis and their eventual defeat. Trnka develops the theme of the power of the individual in an oppressive society with this symbol.

•  Joseph Schultz, 1973, 11 mins.

A dramatization about a German soldier during World War II in Yugoslavia who, refusing to participate in the execution of innocent hostages, brings his own death, and provides for the viewer a consideration of the moral and ethical code of the individual in a time of war.

About the Film Collection

The 16mm film collection has been part of the Library's holdings for over 55 years. It began in the 1960s, and its first films were part of the City of Miami’s public library before there was a county library. When MDPLS was formed, the County supplemented its local funding for films with Federal LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) grants. Apart from leased feature films, all films were purchased for free exhibition for the life of the print. Subjects within the collection include experimental/avant-garde art films, non-narrated films, children’s films, Black history, Floridiana, and local history. Today, there are over 4,000 films within the collection.

About the Division of Special Collections & Archives

Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Division of Special Collections & Archives holds rare and irreplaceable historical documents for the benefit of the public and scholarly community. They oversee the Helen Muir Florida Collection, 16mm Film Collection, Cuban Collection of Rare Books & Ephemera, Genealogy Collection, The Vasari Project, and rare & antiquarian books from as early as the 17th century. The Division's primary goal is to provide the public with the contents of the vault at their request. Its collections include rare books, original manuscripts, over 18,000 photographs, prints, artifacts, audiovisual resources, and electronic media.

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