23m; U.S.
Director: Rosemary Feurer & Laura Vazquez
Synopsis: Short, effective doc about legendary labor heroine Mary Harris Jones, the legendary labor heroine known as Mother Jones, examining the ways that Jones’ organizing career influenced early 20th century American history. The film demonstrates how the labor leader used class and gender boundaries to shape an identity that allowed her to become an effective labor organizer in the early 20th century. The documentary also evokes the terrible conditions and labor oppression that motivated Jones to traverse the country, mobilizing thousands to fight back. The film uses authentic photographs and live footage, including the only known film of Mother Jones on her deathbed, proclaiming that she still considered herself a radical and “longs for the day when labor will have the destination of the nation in her own hands.”
Contact: www.motherjonesmuseum.org http://www.laborheritagefoundation.org / Laura Vazquez, PHD, dept of Comm, Northern Illinois University, 815-753-7132 lvazquez@niu.edu Rosemary Feurer”
THE LABOR FILM DATABASE 