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Category Archives: Drama

Anak (2000)

22 Mar

Director: Rory B. Quintos
Writers: Ricardo Lee (story), Raymond Lee (story)
Stars: Vilma Santos, Claudine Barretto, Joel Torre
Phillipines

The main character is a Filipina overseas contract worker, one of the many residents of the archipelago who is forced to leave her family and take a higher paying job in a more prosperous Asian country. While she is working her employer refuses to let her take a vacation, nor does he deliver her mail to her. She is unaware, therefore, that her husband has died. When she finally returns to the Philippines she is met with resentment and hatred by her children. The movie studies how she overcomes these feelings and rebuilds the relationship with her family.

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2013 in A: New/Just Added, Drama, Global Economy, Immigrants/Immigration, Service Workers, Women

 

Milan (2004)

22 Mar

Director: Olivia M. Lamasan
Writers: Raymond Lee (story), Raymond Lee (screenplay)
Stars: Claudine Barretto, Piolo Pascual, Ilonah Jean
Phillipines

Trials and tribulations of Filipino workers dreaming of a bright future in a foreign land.

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2013 in A: New/Just Added, Drama, Global Economy, Immigrants/Immigration, Service Workers, Women

 

Caregiver (2008)

22 Mar

Director: Chito S. Roño
Writers: Jewel C. Castro (story), Chris Martinez (story)
Stars: Sharon Cuneta, John Estrada, Rica Peralejo
Phillipines

Based on real-life stories of Filipino caregivers abroad. Director Roño searched for stories of their lives abroad and personally talked to some who shared their experiences. Roño has friends who work as caregivers; their real-life scenarios were directly depicted in the film. Cuneta stars as Sarah, a mother who left her son in the Philippines and also a teacher who relinquished her profession in lieu of care giving in London, in hopes of augmenting her salary. One of the top-grossing Filipino films of the year.

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2013 in A: New/Just Added, Drama, Migrant workers, Service Workers, Women

 

A Mother’s Story (2011)

22 Mar

Director: John-D Lazatin
Writer: Senedy Que
Stars: Pokwang, Noni Buencamino, Rayver Cruz
Phillipines

Make-up artist grabs a chance to work as illegal immigrant in the US and finds that the grass is not greener on the other side.

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2013 in A: New/Just Added, Drama, Entertainment Industry, Global Economy, Immigrants/Immigration

 

A Day’s Work (2008)

20 Nov

2008
written/directed by Rajeev Dassani
35mm in color, 17m
screening formats available: 35mm print, HDCAM, Digibeta, Betacam, DV or DVCAM, and DVD.

Alone in Los Angeles, Enrique doesn’t speak a word of English. Forced to work as a day laborer to earn money for loved ones back home, his loyalties are put to the test when a simple job escalates into a matter of life and death.

Synopsis: Enrique is a young man far from home trying to make a living wage as a day laborer on the streets of Los Angeles. He thinks he has finally caught a break when Marcus and Kathy pick him up, along with two other immigrant laborers, to help them move. On the job Enrique meets and befriends their teenage son Zack as he helps pack up his childhood room. But things quickly take a turn for the worst when Marcus attempts to pay the men with a check, unaware that day laborers are often cheated out of their wages with bad checks. A simple misunderstanding explodes into a violent standoff with Enrique stuck in the middle.

“A Day’s Work” examines the hopes and fears inherent to the immigrant story, both on the part those crossing the border and those learning to live in a rapidly changing America. When violence erupts, the prejudices of all involved are brought to light and mistrust, assumption and language stand as barriers to an easy resolution.

http://www.daysworkfilm.com/index.html

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2012 in Drama, Immigrants/Immigration, Migrant workers

 

My Piece of the Pie (2011)

13 Nov

Ma part du gâteau

France: 109 min

After losing her job at a local factory, a single mother enrolls in a housekeeper training program, soon landing work cleaning the Paris apartment of handsome but cocky power broker, who happens to be the same one responsible for the layoffs at her factory.

Director: Cédric Klapisch
Writer: Cédric Klapisch (scenario)
Stars: Karin Viard, Gilles Lellouche and Audrey Lamy | See full cast and crew

 
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Posted by on November 13, 2012 in Comedy, Drama, Global Economy, Service Workers, Women

 

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Compliance (2012)

30 Aug

90m; U.S.

Director: Craig Zobel

Cast: Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker and Pat Healy

Synopsis: “In the middle of a bad day Sandra (Ann Dowd), the harried manager of a fast-food franchise, receives a phone call from a man claiming to be a police officer. He accuses an employee named Becky (Dreama Walker) of theft and instructs Sandra to subject the pretty teenager to a series of humiliations: detain her in the stock room, confiscate her belongings, conduct a strip search and on and on. As the title suggests, at each step of this increasingly elaborate and unnerving hoax, Sandra and Becky do what they are told.”

-‘Compliance’ Raises Questions About Human Behavior; NYT 8/10/2012

Trailer

 
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Posted by on August 30, 2012 in Big Business/Corporations, Class, Consumerism, Drama, Legal System, Netflix Watch Instantly, Service Workers, Women

 

The Hunger Games (2012)

30 Aug

142m; U.S.

Director: Gary Ross

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland

Synopsis: In a dystopic future North America called Panem, the wealthy elite who live in the central city (known as the Capitol) exploit the impoverished workers of the rest of the country who are divided into twelve districts.  The Capitol employs a range of social controls, including the Hunger Games, an annual event where two children from each district are thrown into an arena and fight until only one is left alive.

Into these games is thrust Katniss Everdeen, the daughter of a coal miner, who must use her wits and skills to survive while trying to maintain her humanity, even as her examples of resistance and solidarity begin to inspire some of the districts towards rebellion.

Trailer

 
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Posted by on August 30, 2012 in Children, Cities-Urban, Class, Crime-Action, Drama, Politics, SciFi, Women, Working Class

 

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Neighboring Sounds (2012)

27 Aug

KLEBER MENDONÇA FILHO 
Brazil, 2012, 124 minutes, 35mm, Color, film’s website

Cast: Irandhir Santos (Clodoaldo), Gustavo Jahn (João), Meve Jinkings (Bia), W. J. Solha (Francisco), Irma Brown (Sofia), Lula Terra (Anco), Yuri Holanda (Dinho) and Clébia Souza (Luciene).

The setting is the city of Recife, Brazil, on a seaside street, much of it owned by Francisco (W.J. Solha), an old-school paterfamilias. Director Kleber Mendonca Filho divides the film into three chapters, effortlessly weaving together his characters while slipping in small details that cumulatively speak of class, race, and the nation’s uneasy past. Beatriz (Maeve Jinkings) is almost always seen in her apartment, an airy setup with all the appurtenances of the middle class. She has certain needs, of course. Just arrived on the street is a private security team, which convinces residents that its services are needed. Viewers know the protection required is from inner demons, not outer ones. That Filho can juggle so many important issues without being heavy-handed or dropping a single one speaks volumes about his strengths. Neighboring Sounds captures the very fabric of Brazilian society, whose seemingly porous hierarchies prove to be prohibitively rigid. —Variety

Trailer

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2012 in Cities-Urban, Class, Drama

 

American Karoshi

13 Jul

14m; U.S.

Director: Alex Willemin

Cast: John Iovino, Cyril Serrao and Drew Daly

Synopsis (IMDB): After being fired from his job, Lee is given a second chance by his boss and CEO of the company, Scott Anderson III. Unfortunately, instead of filling out forms, Lee must save Scott’s life.

Trailer

Available here: http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1264557337/

 
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Posted by on July 13, 2012 in Comedy, Drama, White Collar

 
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