Most of the films in the database "Reel History" are related to modern phenomena of free time and leisure. Several films deal with the fact that even leisure has got its history. Today we take for granted that we do not have to work all the time, but the concept of holiday was completely unknown up to the late 1930s.

The normal amount of working hours was, at previous turn-of-the-century, 60 to 75 hours a week. It left very little time for any other activities but work. The eight-hour working day with a normal working week of 48 hours, since work was also common on Saturdays, was introduced in 1919. A consequence of this working hour regulation, was that the general public indeed got time over for more than work. Free time and leisure was one sign of the modern times to come.

However, leisure time was to be used with sense and not just by idle passing time, this was the authorities' opinion - especially regarding holidays. Ideas about legal right to paid holidays were beginning to spread around Europe during the 1930s.

In Sweden the first Holidays Act was passed in 1938 that gave workers a two-week holiday per year. The exhibition of "Fritiden" [Free Time] in Ystad 1936 was of great significance to the debate on holidays and time off. The original idea of this exhibition was that leisure time well spent would create happy, harmonious people. At the same time it tried to regulate people's free time into specific areas, such as education, out-door activities, sports and recreation.