Friday, November 11, 2011

Labor Film Festival in Nashua!



Hi!

I’m excited to be facilitating the New Hampshire premier of The Canadian Labor International Film Festival here in Nashua on November 17 at 5:30 pm. This Thursday night showing will be held at the Nashua Public Library on 2 Court St.

The films deal with working class history, issues and struggles. I find the film “Locked Out” especially compelling as we the 99% need to stand tall and by each other for the win, just as ILWU Local 30 560 members did to win against the Rio Tinto mining company.

The films have a combined screening time of about 2 ½ hours. The Festival will start at 5:30. We have the theater until 9, giving us time for discussion. My hope is that this event will expose us to some quality films while giving us a chance to make acquaintance and connect as we share perspectives.

The Films

Breathtaking
Time: 43 minutes Year: 2010
Director: Kathleen Mullen
Producer: Kathleen Mullen
Country: Canada
Language: English, French, Hindi, Gujarati (English subtitles)
Preview available at: http://www.kathleenmullen.com/breathtaking/

Description:
“Breathtaking” takes on the asbestos industry through a moving and personal investigation into the deaths of Kathleen’s father from mesothelioma, and the confounding present-day use of asbestos in Canada and other countries that continues to exact a human toll. Valued since prehistory and commercially mined since the Industrial Revolution, asbestos was nicknamed the ‘magic mineral’ for its fabric-like properties and its capacity to protect against fire. It’s been used in everything from brake pads to oven mitts. After it was discovered to be carcinogenic, asbestos use was banned in many countries and limited in others.

Locked out
Time: 60 minutes
Year: 2011
Director: Joan Sekler
Producer: Joan Sekler
Country: USA
Language: English
Preview available at: http://www.lockedout2010.org/

Description:
This David and Goliath story reveals how 560 unionized miners in California refused to accept wage and benefit cuts by their employer, Rio Tinto, a giant multinational mining company. They were locked out of their jobs and replaced by scabs. They organized a mass movement of support and after 107 days, Rio Tinto backed down, signed a decent contract and the miners went back to work.

Triangle: Remembering the Fire
Time: 38 minutes, 47 seconds
Year: 2011
Director: Daphne Pinkerson
Producers: Daphne Pinkerson, Marc Levin
Country: USA
Language: English
Preview available at: http://vimeo.com/18481061

Description:
“Triangle: Remembering the Fire” marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, an event that changed the course of history. It is the story of a great uprising of young women, whose protest ended tragically in flames. A cinematic tone poem of remembrance, the films also stands as a cautionary tale about the dangers of returning to the attitudes of the Gilded Age.