Using animation and live action footage, Hammer & Tickle is a 90 minute documentary that tells the story of how popular humour contributed to the defeat of Communism in Europe.

This film is not just a compilation of Communist jokes, of which there are thousands, it is the story of the jokes, the people who invented them, the people who tried to silence them, the people who risked punishment to document them, and the people imprisoned for telling them.

A France/Canada co-production with Alegria Pictures

Produced by Alegria Productions & Screen Siren Pictures Inc in association with Bergmann Pictures. A BBC Production produced in association with ARTE/ZDF. Produced with the support of MEDIA PLUS PROGRAMME of the European Community. Produced in association with The Documentary Channel. Produced with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable Industry, CTF: License Fee Program Produced with the participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund with the assistance of the Government of Canada Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program, the Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC. In association with TV2 Denmark, SVT Sweden, YLE 2 Finland, SBS Australia. Developed with the support of Starling (France), Centre National de la Cinématographie, and MEDIA PLUS PROGRAMME of the European Community.