| Maquilapolis (City of Factories) |
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| Directed By:
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Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre
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| Produced In:
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USA/Mexico, 2006
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| Running Time:
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60 minutes
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| Genre:
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Documentary
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| Language:
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English
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| Themes:
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USA, Mexico, Labor, Economic Justice, Immigration
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| Distributor:
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California Newsreel
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| Trailer
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Click Here to view the trailer
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Synopsis:
Carmen works the graveyard shift in one of Tijuana's 800 maquiladoras, the multinationally-owned factories that came to Mexico for its cheap labor. After making television components all night, Carmen comes home to a shack she built out of recycled garage doors, in a neighborhood with no sewage lines or electricity. She suffers from kidney damage and lead poisoning from her years of exposure to toxic chemicals. She earns six dollars a day. But Carmen is not a victim. She is a dynamic young woman, busy making a life for herself and her children. In "Maquilapolis," Carmen and her friend Lourdes confront labor violations, environmental devastation and urban chaos, reaching beyond their daily struggle for survival to organize for change, taking on both the Mexican and U.S. governments and a major television manufacturer. The women also use video cameras to document their lives, their city and their hopes for the future.
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Links:
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Read about Human Rights Watch's research in Mexico
Visit the P.O.V. website for the film for curriculum guides, interviews and updates on the people featured in the film
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