Maquilapolis: City of Factories

Colour, BETA SP
Mexico, USA, 2006, 67 min
Section: One World Presents the Sundance Documentary Fund

Synopsis

There is an area on the US-Mexican border peppered with maquiladoras: massive sweatshops often owned by large multinational corporations. Over a million people work for these multinationals, usually for negligible pay and under harsh conditions. Dynamic Carmen together with a group of Tijuana women decides to stand up for their workers’ rights and address publicly some of the key problems they face daily. Equipped with video cameras they continuously record their struggles. A very personal film where stringent activist videos are interwoven with stunning poetical images.

About the director

Vicky Funari focuses primarily on the lives of working people and on the complex identities of today’s culturally mixed and dynamic migratory populations. Her award winning films were screened at many prestigious festivals. Filmography: Paulina (1998), Live Nude Girls Unite! (2000), Maquilapolis: City of Factories (2006).
Sergio De La Torre is an acclaimed photographer, performance and installation artist. His art work centers on issues regarding diaspora/tourism and identity politics.