UMass Labor Relations and Research Center Labor & Film Series including Pioneer Valley Labor Film Festival, April 5 to 26
Tuesdays, February 2-April 26 at 6:30pm in the Integrative Learning Center, Room S231*
For questions or information, contact Pat Greenfield, patriciagreenfield@comcast.net, 301-503-7639.
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The UMass Labor Center is hosting an exciting series of films on labor issues. Community members are invited to the viewings. The series explores historical and contemporary labor issues and struggles, challenges and victories as seen through the lens of a range of documentary and feature films. Films include labor classics, Hollywood movies, and unreleased documentaries, focusing on topics including organizing strategies, visions of social justice, politics, and conflicts around race, immigration, gender.
2/2: Through a (Hollywood) Lens Darkly—Labor and Corruption
On the Waterfront: Oscar winner with Marlon Brando; unions, corruption and labor “snitches”
2/9: Digging Deep in Two Industries—Hollywood and the Mines
Salt of the Earth: Mining conflict featuring immigrant workers and strong women in the Southwest, followed by presentation and Q&A session by film expert Nina Kleinberg, who also does “Film School 101” at the Amherst Cinema
2/23: Labor and Civil Rights—Stories from the 1960s
At the River I Stand: Sanitation workers struggle for union recognition and strike in Memphis TN in 1968; Dr. King was assassinated when he was in Memphis to support these workers.
3/1: Women’s Struggles with and for the Labor Movement–Stories from the 1970s and Earlier
Norma Rae: Sally Field Oscar-winning performance of a woman working and organizing in a southern textile mill
3/22: It’s Complicated (Documentary Double Feature)
One Day Longer: Ten-year strike of Las Vegas casino workers
Live Nude Girls Unite: Organizing, bargaining and striking at a San Francisco strip club
3/29: Old Wine Made New—Sitting Down and Taking Over
The Take: Documentary (done by Naomi Klein) on workers in Argentina who fight to take over and run their abandoned factory. We will also show a short video on the Flint sit-down.
April 5 to 26, 2016: Pioneer Valley Labor Film Festival – co-sponsored by Western Mass. Jobs with Justice and the UMass Labor Center no charge – donations suggested to Western Mass. Jobs with Justice
All films during these four weeks will be accompanied by a speaker or panel.
4/5: Blood Fruit
Documentary about a small group of Irish retail workers, almost all women, who effused to handle South African-produced fruit during the apartheid era. Not in general release, only available to film festivals.
4/12: Pride
Feature film based on a true story of a group of LBGT activists who raised money to support the workers during the British Miners strike of 1984, and the interactions between the two groups.
4/19: A Day’s Work
As a lead-in to Worker Memorial Day the following week, this documentary film tells the story of a young temp worker killed his first day on the job. Not in general release, only available to film festivals; the film-maker will join us to talk about the film.
4/26: Bread and Roses
Feature film based on the Justice for Janitors organizing of primarily immigrant workers in Los Angeles.
*The Integrative Learning Center is adjacent to the Campus Center, and just behind the Student Union building. You can easily get to the ILC if you park on Level 2 of the Campus Center Parking Garage and walk up the ramp into the Campus Center; the ILC is outside, on the same side of the Campus Center building as the Blue Wall, which is the food court area in the Campus Center. If needed, here is a link to a UMass campus map:
http://www.umass.edu/visitorsctr/sites/default/files/maps/map-2015.pdf.