Entries

1, Opening

Commemoration of the comrade late Chun Tae Il (2000, Korea) - Omnibus documentary

Coproducer : Labor News Production, workers videomakers group
Director : Park, Joodong
Summary :
Produced for 30 year commemoration of suicide of late Chun, Taeil who became the symbol of progressive Korean labor movement, this omnibus style documentary is composed of various corners including the short music video on Moran Park cemetery, remembering Chun's spirit through the interviews with the people, and the shotr sketch of the theatrical representation of Chun, Taeil

2, Women workers

Femmes Machines, Mechanised Women (1996, Belgium, 56 minutes)

format : betacam dig - 16:9
language : french
producer : Les films de la passerelle
director : Marie Anne Thunissen
email : math@rtbf.be
co-producer and broadcaster : RTBF (Belgian television - centre de production de Li ge)
Summary :
July 1995. The National Factory (Fabrique Nationale - F.N., Belgium), one of the most florishing industry of the walloon region in Belgium, is not anymore what it was No more "mechanised women" are working there, the factory is not national anymore and only a few one thousand industrial workers still have a job in the factory. but where did the "mechanised women" disappear? (more)

I Was Born A Black Women (2000, Brazil and USA, 44 minutes)

Producer : Kit Miller
Directors : Maisa Mendon? and Vicente Franco
Editors : Vicente Franco and Maisa Mendon?
Distributor name : Global Exchange (not for general distribution yet, pending US television broadcast)
Consultance : Medea Benjamin, Jurema Werneck, Evelyn C. White
Phone : 415/255-7296
Fax : 415/255-7498
email : kitmiller@aol.comkitmiller@aol.com
web pages : iwasbornablackwoman.com
Summary :
Benedita da Silva, shanty-dweller, domestic worker, mother, organizer, poet, Senator. "I was born a black woman" is a documentary based on the remarkable life of the first Afro-Brazilian woman to be elected to Brazil's senate. Benedita da Silva was born to poverty, started working at age seven and gradually gained stature for herself and her community through education, faith in God and community organizing. Filled with Afro-Brazilian music, poetry and dance, "I Was Born a Black Woman" weaves a dynamic tale of black Brazil and one woman's victory over racism. "I live in a country of 30 million impoverished people, people who can't read or write, people who live in cardboard shacks in the shantytowns, under bridges, on the streets. I know their stories because I have lived it myself."

Parallel (2000, Korea, 72min)

Directors : Lee, Hye-Ran / Seo, Eun-Joo
Producer : Workers Video Art Production, HOPE
Summary :
In 1998, Hyundai motors became the symbolic place for the struggle against the mass-layoff policy pushed by the government during the economic crisis. After few month of struggle, general strike by workers at Hyundai Motors ended with a mutual agreement between the trade union and the management. However, 143 women workers in kitchen who also participated in the strike, became scapegoat of the agreement by being fired. Parallel is a three-year account of these women workers, who has disciplined themselves as working class despite harassment and hardships of gender discrimination by both the managements and the union leaders.

3, History

Memory on Chun, Taeil (2000, Korea, 60 min)
Director : Kim, Yichan (Eemong)
web pages : http://www.coincine.co.kr/family/eemong.html
Summary :
Documentary about the 'memory', which put emphasis on the legacy of the spirit of Chun Taeil since he died 30 years ago. Many labor struggle declared as succeeding to the spirit of Chun Taeil and this documentary hopes to question why they did and what was the fundamental meanings behind those long years of succession.

As long as shipbuilders are singing (1995-1998, Belgium, three part 250 minutes)


Original version: Dutch
Other versions: English
French (in preparation)
Part 1: 86'; part 2: 81'; part 3: 83'
Betacam Sp & Dig.; Colour, Pal, Stereo
Release dutch version: 1999
Release English version: jan. 2000
Release French version: expected for sept. 2000
Direction, research and screenplay: Jan Vromman
Music: Bart Picqueur
Photography: Philippe Jadot, Antoine Marie Meert, Hans Meijer
Editing: Hans Meijer
Sound & music recording and editing: Beno?t Bruwier, Omar Perez, Studio C
Mix: Studio 5/5 Jean-Jacques Quintet
Producer: Filip Callewaert
Production: Het Gematigd Zeeklimaat vzw
Co-production: GSARA
Fonds Film in Vlaanderen
Video documentary in three parts:
Part 1: Champagne! 1829 Ç 1969 (86')
The story of expansion
Part 2: The Flush of Success... 1969 Ç 1986 (81')
` The story of revolt and economic crisis
Part 3: The Hangover... 1986 Ç 1997 (83')
Synopsis :
As long as lions do not have their story-teller tales of the hunt will continue to praise the hunter (African proverb) With the building of the first wooden river-going boats in 1829 the chronicle of an industry began to unfold and continued until the last shipyard was dismantled in 1997. This in-depth study of Belgium's last shipyard is, in its context, a revealing insight into industry and employment on an international level. (more)

1946 : The Great Hawaii Sugar Strike (1996, USA, 57 minutes)

Producer : Center for Labor Education & Research; Univ. of Hawaii West Oahu
Director : Joy Chong-Stannard
Date of production :1996
Distributor name : Center for Labor Education & Research; Univ. of Hawaii West Oahu
Phone / Fax :(808) 454-4774
Email :tbill@hawaii.edu
Web pages : http://www.homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/clear/riceroses.html
Summary :
Twenty six thousand sugar workers and their families, began a 79-day strike on September 1, 1946 that completely shut down Hawaii's sugar industry and established the ILWU and organized labor in Hawaii. Produced 50 years after this landmark strike, this program shows how labor organizing forever changed the islands economically, politically, and socially ushering in a new era of participatory democracy both on the plantations and throughout Hawaii's political and social institutions.

Matewan (1989, USA, 132 minutes)

Directed by John Sayles
Writing credits John Sayles
Cast overview
Chris Cooper : Joe Kenehan
James Earl Jones : 'Few Clothes' Johnson
Mary McDonnell : Elma Radnor
Will Oldham : Danny Radnor
David Strathairn : Sid Hatfield
Ken Jenkins : Sephus Purcell
Gordon Clapp : Griggs
Kevin Tighe : Hickey
John Sayles : Hardshell Preacher
Bob Gunton : C.E. Lively
Josh Mostel : Cabell Testerman
Nancy Mette : Bridey Mae
Jace Alexander : Hillard Elkins
Gary McCleery : Ludie
Joe Grifasi : Fausto
Summary :
Mingo County, West Virginia, 1920. Coal miners, struggling to form a union, are up against company operators and gun thugs; Black and Italian miners, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught between the two forces. Union activist and ex-Wobbly Joe Kenehan, sent to help organize the union, determines to bring the local, Black, and Italian groups together. Drawn from an actual incident; the characters of Sid Hatfield, Cabell Testerman, C. E. Lively, and Few Clothes Johnson were based on real people.

4, Struggle

Days of human (2000, Korea, 119 minutes)

Director : Tae, Jun sik
* Filmography
- Report on Organizing KCTU, Part 1 (1h, Apr/1995)
- Report on Organizing KCTU, Part 2 (1h, Jun/1995)
- The History of the Hyundai Heavy Industries Part, 1 (1h 30m, Jun/1996)
- The Urgent report on general strike Vol.1, Vol.2 (30m, 55m, Jan/1997)
- At the workplace (50m, Jul/1998)
- From the crisis of capitol, to the hope of labor : 1998, Progress ! (34m, Sep/1998)
- One step at a time (40m, Jun/1999)
Producer : Labor News Production
Synopsis :
On september 12th, 1999, Hyundai Construction Equipment Service Co. Workers Union held a ceremony on the purpose of ending the struggle for employment succession and announcing the dissolution of the trade union organization. With the atmosphere of the regret caused by the defeat, the long struggle which was initiated when the company was compelled to close down by the government decision based on the structural restructuring plan under IMF crisis, was finally ended. This documentary which covers the 450 days of struggle, was made in order to reserve the history and memory of the old workers who have lived through the past unbearable century, and to raise the issue of what has been forgotten or force to be forgotten in this society under the guise of structural amnesia.

Bus riders union (2000, USA, 86 minutes)

Producer : Liberty Hill Foundation
Director : Haskell Wexler and Johanna Demetrakas
Editor : Johanna Demetrakas
Distributor name : Strategy Center
Phone / Fax : (213) 387-2800
Email : geoffray@mindspring.com
Web pages : www.busridersunion.org
Summary :
A fascinating look at one of Los Angeles most vital grassroots movements to date, the Bus Riders Union. Director Haskell Wexler chronicles how this grand social experiment brought together a small army of people, most of whom are poor, black and Latino, that, in 1996, forced the mighty Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) into a federal court order to improve bus service for million working class bus riders.

One day longer, the story of the Frontier strike (1999, USA, 60 minutes)

director / producer : Amie Williams
Synopsis :
Videographer Amie S. Williams shows how the battle to organize the Frontier Hotel workers was successful after a six &one half year strike. While epoch struggle was not something workers wanted, the video showed that perseverance and solidarity can win. commissioned by the Hotel and Restaurant Workers International Union (HEREIU) (26th Newark Black film festival Paul Robeson Awards 2000 for excellence in independent filmmaking)

To Be More Humane - A Kokuro Story (July 2000, Japan, 96 minutes)

Producer: Matsubara Akira / Sasaki Yumi
Director: Ditto Editor :$B!!!!(B Ditto Running time : 96 minutes
Distributor name : Video Press
Phone / Fax :TEL 03-3530-8588 FAX 03-3530-8578
Email : MGG01231@nifty.ne.jp
Web pages : http://member.nifty.ne.jp/videopress/
Summary :
The Japanese National Railways was divided and privatized into JR (Japanese Rail) companies. Many workers had their job taken away, were distressed and hurt. The Kokuro (National Railways Workers Union) members were a target of discrinatory treatment and 1047 of them were fired. However, many have kept fighting without betraying their conscience despite harsh attacks on them by the JR management. This is a long documentary that has shot the history of the 13-year Kokuro struggle, the biggest labor dispute in the post World War II Japan.

5, Struggle against Neoliberalism and corporate globalization

Showdown in Seattle (1999, USA, 60 minutes)

Producer : IMC
Web site : http://www.indymedia.org
Synopsis :
Features an on-the-ground, non-corporate perspective, and in-depth analysis, of the 1999 WTO protests. Each half hour show is made up of segments shot and edited on location in downtown Seattle by an unprecedented collaboration of video producers from around the U.S. working under the umbrella of the Independent Media Center. Daily segment producers include: Big Noise Films, Changing America, Headwaters Action Video Collective, Paper Tiger TV, VideoActive and Whispered Media, working with the footage of dozens of video activists from the IMC. The programs in this series were produced daily on location in Seattle and satellite-cast across the U.S on each day of the WTO ministerial. This screening version is the 60 minute compliation of the 5 part series.

This is What Democracy Looks Like (2000, USA, 72 minutes)

Labor Battles The WTO (2000, USA, 38 minutes)

Producer :Steve Zeltzer
Director :Steve Zeltzer
Editor :Kaz Torii
Distributor name :Labor Video Project
Phone / Fax :(415)282-1908/F(415-695-1369
Email : lvpsf@labornet.org
Web pages : www.igc.apc.org/lvpsf/
Summary :
This documentary inteviews dozens of trade unionists about why they went to Seattle to protest against the WTO. Also included are clips from the meeting of the ICFTU with WTO chair Mike Moore that was held in Seattle prior to the WTO meeting. This was the largest US labor demonstration in years and the video includes the mainstream media response to the trade union demonstration as well as the massive police attack on the protesters. It ends with a labor music video sung by Larry Shaw. (http://www.solddowntheriver.com) For an in depth understanding of why workers traveled thousands of miles to attend the protest, this video is vital. It also shows the growing discontent by workers about the Democratic party and the support for this party leadership of the AFL-CIO.

Zapatista (1999, USA, 60 minutes)

Producer : Big nois film
http://www.bignoisefilms.com/zapatista/index.html
featuring music by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE, PEANUT BUTTER, WOLF OZOMATLI, SILVIO RODRIGUEZ
Synopsis :
Summer, 1996: Three students from the United States and Europe hear something so new and powerful in the Zapatistas' message that they realize they have to go to Chiapas. Armed only with a few pesos and two state-of-the-art digital video cameras, they make their way deep into the Lacandon. Their energy and their lightwieght, inconspicuous equipment get them into places where others can not go. Inside rebel territory they meet with Dominican Priests and Mayan elders, with peasant soldiers and warrior poets. Their journey culminates in a rare, late night meeting with Subcomandante Marcos, the elusive spokesperson for the movement, from a Zapatista stronghold high in the mountains. June, 1998: Two trips to Chiapas later Big Noise films premieres its hour-long documentary, ZAPATISTA, to a standing-room-only crowd of over 1000 in Santa Barbara. Edited and designed by the Media Boutique using the latest non-linear technology, it is an inspiring first hand account of a struggle that will challenge the way you think about the world. Combining the raw intensity of footage from the front-lines with a hip digital aesthetic, ZAPATISTA pushes documentary style and form to its limits. A cast of rebel leaders, celebrity narrators, and political activists are woven together with high-impact music and footage. Together they reveal the heart of this ancient resistance and its relationship to today's global economy -- and to us all.

Deadly embrace : Nicaragua, The World Bank and the IMF (1999, USA, 28 minutes)

Producer : Elizabeth Canner and Ash Eames
Director : Elizabeth Canner
Editor : Elizabeth Canner
Distributor name : Ash Eames
Phone / Fax : phone: (603) 764-9948
Email : dstuart@connriver.net
Web pages : www.freespeech.org/lizcanner
Summary :
The acclaimed documentary "Deadly Embrace: Nicaragua, the World Bank and the IMF" provides first hand accounts from Nicaraguan farmers and citizens of how the IMF and World Bank Structural Adjustment policies have threatened the stability of the Nicaraguan economy and endangered the lives of citizens. The countries unemployment, illiteracy and starvation rate have increased since the implementation of structural adjustment. David Wildman in The Boston Globe called it, "A powerful and entertaining documentary that effectively humanizes critical economic issues." The tape was used as one of the key organizing tools for the demonstrations against the IMF and World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Something to hide (1999, USA, 26 minutes)

Producer : Crowing Rooster Arts
Director : Katharine Kean
Editor : Elizabeth Downer
Distributor name : Crowing Rooster Arts (CRA) or National Labor Committee
phone/fax for CRA : (212) 334-6260 / (212) 334-6263
email for CRA : cra@crowingrooster.org
web page for CRA : http://www.crowingrooster.org/
Summary :
Something to Hide follows a National Labor Committe/United Students Against Sweatshops delegation to El Salvadro in August 1999. It includes dramatic footage as the delegation exposes sweatshop abuses and speaks with workers who are fighting for decent working conditions. The video provides information on how to get involved in the campaign against sweatshops.

Golf war (1999, USA, 39 minutes)

produced by Jen Schradie
directed by Jen Schradie / Matt DeVries
videographer Matt DeVries
location sound Jen Schradie
editor Matt DeVries
Filmmakers-Jen Schradie and Matt DeVries
web site : http://www.golfwar.org
Funding
Synopsis :
When Filipino peasants resist converting their ancestral farmland into a golf resort, they face a bloody struggle against developers and their government. Tracking down both armed guerrillas and golf boosters, including Tiger Woods, the filmmakers reveal a larger, national battle over land and revolution in what the LA Times called a "bombshell of an expose." Peasants in a beachfront community called Hacienda Looc have been tilling their land for generations. But, the Filipino government decided to follow a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded report that recommended the area instead be used for tourism. The government illegally sold the peasants' land for less than it's worth to the Manila South coast Development Corporation (MSDC). To cover itself, the government later claimed that this fertile mountainous area and tropical paradise was not suited for agriculture. Fil-Estate Land, Inc. is working with the MSDC to develop the Hacienda Looc land into a four-course golf and tourist resort. When the peasants who live on the land learned of this takeover, they formed an organization called Umalpas-Ka, a chapter of the larger national peasant federation KMP. The developers are working in collusion with the military, as well as with national and local politicians. Meanwhile, three peasant opponents of the golf course construction have been killed. Consequently, many peasants have supported the New People's Army's offer to protect their families and their land.

Resistance as Democracy (July 2000, USA, 48 minutes)

Producers : Ron Smith and Larry Mosqueda
Directors : Ron Smith and Larry Mosqueda
Editor : Ron Smith and Larry Mosqueda
Distributor name : Self distributed
Phone / Fax : (415) 786-2801 (ron) (360)866-6000 x6513 (Larry)
Email : activ8media@yahoo.com and lmosqueda@home.com
Summary :
This documentary analyzes the political struggles in El Salvador and proposes that only through popular struggle, can democracy truly be achieved. Resistance as Democracy examines the struggles of unionists, workers, and peasants in everyday life as El Salvador attempts to build democracy after the signing of the peace accords in 1992, which brought more than 12 years of war to an end. Resistance as Democracy exposes government corruption and the lack of openness in government, and the lack of access for citizens. "Resistance" includes interviews with fired telephone workers, striking hospital workers, left-wing officials, government ministers, and peasants living in the cities, in the countryside, and in the San Salvador dumps to expose neoliberalism and the myth of democracy in a society of extreme wealth and poverty, a system created and abetted by US involvement. Resistance proves that global popular solidarity is the key to creating a more just global society. Includes interviews with Vandana Shiva and Howard Zinn.

Music videos on the struggle against Neoliberalism (2000, Korea, 10 min)

Producer : Labor News Production
Summary :
The struggle against Neoliberalism continued in different parts of the globe including Seattle, Washington, Prague and Seoul. Labor News Production combines the images of the struggle with the music to make a brief account of these important struggle which will determine the fate of the people all around the world.

6, Labor culture

The Internationale (Sep 2000, USA, 30 minutes)

Producers : Peter Miller
Directors : Peter Miller
Editor : Amy Carey Linton
Distributor name : Peter Miller Films, Inc. (Deboutles@aol.com)
Synopsis :
The Internationale draws on people's stories of an emotionally charged radical song (the famous anthem of socialism and communism, "The Internationale") to celebrate the relationship between music and social change, and to evaluate the uncertain fate of the once thriving movements on the left. The film features stories told by people who have sung "The Internationale" in the US, China (at Tiananmen Square in 1989), the Soviet Union, Israel, the Philippines, Spain, and a number of other places. It is designed to help activists in the labor movement and in other social change organizations to help bring to their work broader questions about idealism, international solidarity, and the connection of their present-day efforts to struggles throughout history.

Sieng Kammakorn (October 2000, Thailand, part 1 : 15 minutes)

Producer : Thai Labour Museum
Director : WAYANG & Thai Labour Museum
Editor : WAYANG
Distributor name : Thai Labour Museum
Phone / Fax : +662-251-3173
Email : wayang@bangkok.com
Web pages : under construction
Synopsis :
"Sieng Kammakorn" is the first music video and multimedia project in the Thai labour movement. This multimedia programme presents a collection of progressive songs of the movement. It is designed for narrowcasting via video tapes, video CDs or DVDs as well as for broadcasting on terrestrial, cable and satellite television and for webcasting via internet television networks. Produced by the Thai Labour Museum and videographed by WAYANG, the initial phase of this project presents three key songs of the movement: (i) "Saksri Kammakorn" (Dignity of Workers), (ii) "Kidthueng Tuk-kata" (A Doll at Kader), and (iii) "Sai Lerd Reng-ngan" (Spirit of Labour). (more)

From sunrise till sunset (2000, Korea, 15 min)

Director : Kim, Mirye
Summary :
Since the liberation from Japanese occupation, the working hour for the construction workers who were hired on the daily basis was from sunrise till sunset. Long for the workers and short for the contractors, this daily working hours is the theme of this short documentary to visually capture the class conflict.

7, Struggle of Korean workers on 2000

* The videos made by workers videomaking groups were financially and technically supported by Labor News Production.

When the silence is smashed (2000, Korea, 50 minutes)

Director : Lee, Jinpil
Summary :
For 74 days, the workers in Lotte Hotel which is one of the luxurious hotel in downtown Seoul went on strike to fight against the inhuman condition in their workplace. And the struggle became one of the most important struggle of the year in Korea labor movement because of its issues and the harsh oppression by the police. This documentary depicts why those workers who usually were not considered as workers because of their external images started their own struggle and what the consequences were.

Struggle vanguard of construction workers (2000, Korea, 20 minutes)

Producer : Construction workers trade union videomaking group 'Woo deung bul'
Summary :
From May 23 till 25 this year, 70 construction workers organized themselves as the struggle vanguard to support the various labor struggles around Seoul. These struggles demanded 8 hour work, government policy change, etc and were shot by workers videomaker group who eventually made the short documentary which proves that the workers are a class.

The dawn shall come again (2000, Korea, 30 minutes)

Producer : Korea Social Insurance Union videomaking group 'square revolution'
Summary :
Korea Social Insurance Union' struggle against the government structural adjustment was one of the strong struggles of the trade union movement in 2000. The videomaking group in this union (composed of male and female rank and file workers) which also use the webcasting, made a in-depth documentary on this important and militant struggle while being active as the fighters in the struggle.

Collapsed Goliath... but ! (2000, Korea, 25minutes)

Producer : Hyundai heavy industries labor union videomaking group 'Chang'
web pages : http://www.hhiun.or.kr
Summary :
The newsreel style documentary which shows the reborn struggle of workers in Hyundai heavy industries where no strike happened although the union was the most militant and strong union of Korean labor movement between late 80's and early 90's.

Y2K, solidarity struggle of trade unions in 4 auto companies against structural adjustment
(2000, Korea, 10minutes)

Producer : KIA workers videomaking group
Summary :
Made by KIA workers videomaking group which was made in November 1995 as the group which was officially supported by the union during the struggle against the introduction of CCTV by the management, this documentary tries to analyse the meaning of the solidarity struggle and find the strategy to defeat the Neoliberalistic policy.

Union representative (2000, Korea, 20minutes)

Producer : Daewoo auto company trade union videomaking group
Summary :
On August 1999, Daewoo auto was selected as workout company. As a result of this, the workers had to accept the reduction of benefits and lower wages. And although the workers won the agreement on job security based on the five month sit-in struggle in front of the factory, the agreement became obsolete when the company broke the promise and fired 3500 workers. This documentary provides the struggle mainly organized by union representative during these difficult period for the workers.

* Special offline screening of webcast programs

400 km bicycle march by fired Sammi workers (2000, Korea, 15 minutes)

Producer : The Voice of Labor
web pages : Nodong.Com
Director : Lee, Jesung
Summary :
On October 2000, 27 workers started the 400 km bicycle march to Seoul to join the Anti-ASEM struggle. These workers were fired when POSCO - one of the biggest steel companies in the world - had bought the Sammi company. This documentary which was re-edited from the streamed videos on the web site of Voice of Labor depicts the strength and beauty of the people who don't retreat in front of the frustrating tribulations lasted for more than 4 years.

Casual workers - Trade union of Contractor to Hanra Heavy industry (2000, Korea, 20 minutes)

Producer : Lee, Gang Hyun (Jinbo Net video group)
web pages : http://cast.jinbo.net
Summary :
In front of North gate at Youngam, Junra, only two workers went on sit-in strike inside the tent. These workers were working for the contractor to Hanra heavy industry and fired - their contract expired, declared by the contractor - when they tried to organize the trade union. They were not the regular worker in Hanra, therefore they were not the members of the Hanra union. This situation represents the ordinary casual workers who are outside of the traditional labor movement but are majority part of the labor force at this stage of Korean capitalism. (Originally streamed through JinboNet on June encoded as 80kb realvideo, this piece will be screened in the festival as DV format)